#aka my missing 8am post

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Solar: What’s Christmas?

Lunar: …

Moon: …

Sun: …

Earth: …

Ruin: …

Eclipse, in the background: How abused and neglected were you?

[twisted-tales-told]

🍿 & ☄️

HI RAE

This ask game

🍿 top 3 fics at the moment

Ok.

Here’s the thing. I cannot post them because I fear being made fun of for the ship I’m currently obsessed with. Rae, you would make fun of me (aka see u on discord bestie)

BUT I will post 3 Different favs.

As you wish by orphan account

Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Antis can @ me idc. This fic is amazing.

Raise the Black by valleydean

Destiel, pirate au. Enough said. I’m obsessed with it.

The En Avant universe by Bluerosebouquet

This universe. It might just be my favourite jegulus I’ve ever read. Definitely my second favourite regulus ever (first being Ahb regulus my little meow meow who lives in my pocket (canon by @otrtbs)

My friend @ifyoucandaniel actually binded this fic for me as the most special present ever. Like, she made it?? For me?? Because I’m so obsessed with it and am too broke to bind it myself right now.

I actually remember the moment I found it. I was on the bus to my 8am intro to publishing class in Mississauga Ontario. It was exactly 6:48 am, it had 8 chapters published. I read all 8, MISSED my stop, and had to RUN from the Mississauga mall to my classroom.

Anyways it affected me on an atomic level. I will talk about it for hours.

☄️ - most unpopular opinion about a fandom character

I have so many. I’m very picky about the marauders characters because I have such a clear vision of them in my head I can’t read most fic out there. I hate most regulus’s, I hate all but 2 Barty’s,

But I think my most unpopular opinion about a fandom character is when they make regulus “cool” or like. Outgoing. That man is an introvert. I always quote Soph once saying “he’s prickly not plucky” and nat saying he’s a wet cat out in the rain.

Rae u actually wrote one of my fav regulus’ which is funny because i know you hate him.

You also wrote my favourite Dorcas Ever and I basically picked up ur characterization of Dorcas & put her in In Our Midst (which I SWEAR is getting an update one day)

Uh I don’t really ship Marylily anymore I really like Dorlily but I also really like Dorlene so I’m always conflicted on which to write because I don’t ship Lily and Marlene so ???

This was a ramble.

Oh! I really hate Tim/Jason antis in the Batman fandom. Like I think that’s probably the most interesting dynamic you could possibly have & ppl don’t like it because ???? I don’t know man I think characters can have different dynamics in different aus. I think that’s cool & chill but people get so pissy about it.

I’ve rambled long enough.

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

                   Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                            Volume 7 Issue 35                                                                     Week of August 19,  2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing EDITOR:   You might notice the paper is a little late this week.  My husband and I ran off for a few days to have time together from the everyday race.  We enjoy the small things more and more, like small towns, mom and pop businesses run by people who care, old buildings, town squares and historic courthouses.  It is those quaint places where you meet people who make up the town.  Although we took in the “big city” I honestly wonder why anyone wants to be in crowds like herds of cattle.  Traffic was ridiculous where people did not even know how to get out of the way for emergency vehicles.  And the clothing, or lack of clothing I should say was heartbreaking to think that mothers had not taught their daughters better to have some modesty.  Let me just say,  Dorothy enjoyed her trip down the yellow brick road, but she sure is glad to be home.  LMartin, AKA Dorothy                                                                        

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue  Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM. Closed 12-1 for lunch.  * Visit the Downtown Market every Sat, 8am-12pm.  There will be a community cookout in partnership with the Oconee Sheriff’s office and the Town at the Salem Community Center Sept 17th at 4PM.  FREE Hamburger or hot dog plates will begin at 4PM.  A new neighborhood watch which is part of  Mission Oconee, sponsored by a Isaiah  40:31 foundation will be discussed.  

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell     Nature or Nurture ?                                        A mother of two adopted daughters felt compelled to write a scholarly, well-researched book on NATURE OR NUTURE. Both girls had been adopted as infants into a loving and comfortable home. "Suzie" developed as a cheerful, creative child. "Alice," on the other hand, suffered from sleepless nights and violent temper tantrums.. The mother spent 12 years collecting data and interviewing child psychologists and other parents.  Her firmly held conclusion stated unequivocally that when a baby enters the world, the baby's heredity predicts the future for that child.  Of course, severe poverty, neglect, and other setbacks influence the child's future, but for the most part according to the author, NATURE trumps NURTURE.  She gave this advice: 1) Raise your child in the nicest neighborhood you can afford .2) If your child is ugly, consult a plastic surgeon.  WHAT DO YOU THINK ? Lots of Love, Miz Jeannie

ASHTON RECALLS by Ashton Hester   GOAT ENJOYS EXPENSIVE MEAL AT FARMER'S EXPENSE - (The following story was in the August 10, 1944 Keowee Courier). . .While feeding his stock last Thursday, J.N. Barnett, farmer of the Flat Shoals community, found three one dollar bills, that had apparently been chewed, on the ground. . .Immediately he reached for his billfold and, to his surprise and sorrow, found that it was missing from his pocket. . .Then he thought of his goat, and right he was, as the animal was making a fine meal of the billfold and the greenbacks it had contained. . .The goat had eaten between $50 and $60 in currency. Only the three chewed-on one dollar bills remained. . .(Footnote: An internet search reveals that $50 in 1944 would be the equivalent of $892.54 today.)

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Opening on Tuesdays 12pm-7pm during the summer season. Wed–Sat 9am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm.                                    Events this week: Wed:  FOOD TRUCK: BLUE RIDGE GRILL  4PM   BLUE  GRASS JAM  7PM   Thursday: Food Truck:  BLUE RIDGE GRILL 4PM  OLD TIME JAM  6:30PM  Fri: Music: ADAM HOPKINS 6:30PM   Food:  Pa CHUYs   Sat– Food: BLUE RIDGE GRILL  ( seafood special)  Music:  FAYSSOUX MCLEAN at 6:30PM   Sun: 12pm-7pm Food: BLUE RIDGE GRILL ( seafood special ) 1PM  Music:  WATER KICKERS 4PM.    

FRIENDS OF JOCASSSEE  FALL EVENT– Sept 14th 9AM-NOON  VIP DAY   Volunteer, Improve, and Protect.  This is the clean and sweep of areas.  We welcome divers, boaters, kayakers and more to help!  Come be a part of protecting and preserving this beautiful lake we all love and enjoy.   See friendsof jocassee.org for more information.  

WANTED:  Someone looking for a home site, home, or fixer-upper with 8-12 Acres in the Tamassee-Salem. Contact theoldsalempost@gmail.com for contact information.                                                                                                              

Making It Grow is a delightful and educational program on gardening, plants, and more on Channel 29, SCETV  offered by the Clemson Extension and hosted by Amanda McNulty Tuesdays at 7PM and Saturdays at 8AM.                                

.EAGLES NEST ART CENTER

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS     Treasure Store open every Sat morning 9AM-12PM.  For donations  call 864-557-2462.   

August 24th, 7PM  Make Reservations for Dinner and a Show with Luke Riley Smith– Enjoy  the tunes of the Big Band Era, Swing and more! Fried Chicken, 2 sides, roll, dessert, tea or coffee. Tickets $25 Call 864-280-1258. Tickets for sale and available also at the Town of Salem. 

YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS– Sign up for YAMs for an evening class each week on Tuesdays at 5:30PM. Cost is $50 each month.  3rd grade through adult.   Call 864-280-1258                                                                                                                      September 21, 7PM  Oconee Mountain Opry– Hometown variety show of local and regional talent including Jenifer Gregory-from Upstate SC a-singer/songwriter and pop rock, Chris Wayne from NC -Rockabilly, and the Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs from Winston-Salem singing a variety of American you will absolutely enjoy!    Tickets $10 at the door or Ticketleap on the eaglesnestartcenter.org website.                                                                                                                          

CHURCH NEWS                                         1 John 4:7-8 ... 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.                                                                                                                                Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.  Come Visit Us!  Message by Mel Davis 8/25 & 9/1 Bethel PC USA.                                                                                                                               Boones Creek Baptist Church, 264 Boones Creek Road, Salem invites you to join us for regular worship service on Sunday morning with Sunday School at 10am and followed by worship at 11am.                                                                                                                                Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located 240 W Main St , Salem,  cordially invites you to join us every Saturday at 9:30am

Salem Methodist Church, 520 Church Street, Down town Salem.  Salem Methodist is an independent church.       Sunday Breakfast at 9AM with Sunday School at 9:15AM and Worship Service at 10:30AM.   Holy Communion the first Sunday each month.  All welcome! Tune in to our live service on Facebook or view it later on our website.                                   ICE CREAM SOCIAL at the Salem Methodist Church:  Sunday afternoon August 25th at 5PM.  Everyone welcome!                                     Women’s Community Bible Study each Monday morning at 10AM led by Sherrill Carothers                                                                  NEW PRAYER GROUP: Began August 8th at 7 PM at the Salem Methodist Church. Will meet every second and fourth Thursday each month.

HELP MAKE JUMPROPES from old TShirts– Come learn and participate in making jump ropes for the Samaritan’s Shoe Box Ministry Sept 14th at 10AM.  

BOY SCOUTS and CUB SCOUTS to return to Salem?  Salem Methodist Church has been a host site for Scouts in the past. The number of scouts and leaders decreased so much the troops they stopped meeting.  There seems to be a growing interest in the community to bring the scouts back to Salem. Email theoldsalempost@gmail.com for information  

FOR YOUR HEALTH—Fight Depression!  Did you know you have a whole pharmacy in your own brain just waiting to be released when you exercise?  Endorphins are your own feel good pharmacy waiting to be released when you exercise. 

MOBILE PRIMARY CARE in SALEM thru Clemson Rural Health Mobile Unit:  August dates are Aug 13th and Aug 29th Time: 9AM-3PM Location: gravel parking lot across from the Salem Fire Department.  They will offer comprehensive primary care that includes chronic disease management and acute care.  The website: https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/clemson-rural-health/patients.html    September dates are Sept 10 and 26.                                                                                                                          Love to you! LRM

[dangerouslyclosetothesurface]

Thursday

I'm back! Gotta update the bike blog because I hate when other blogs suddenly drop off and die. Haven't been biking much lately so nothing to report, but trying to get back on the bike now.

Things I did that I haven't posted:

August 2023 biked around Portland, ME and mid-coast Maine

March 2024 biked to Hakone in Saratoga

Adopted the Mamachari, which was found abandoned in front of the apt building. Fixed the rear flat and now it's my work bike. It has no controls for its electric assist, but it has a rear rack and a front basket, so I just use it as a very heavy (unstealable) single-speed bike when I need to transport plants and such things. It is not easy to ride any grade over 3%. On every other terrain it is fine.

Today we are back in Queens doing a casual ride. Strava here. It was very hot today.

First we went on 20th Ave towards our bagel spot, but Nate went too far and passed it and by then we were at ConEd and we were like let's keep going I don't care about bagels right now. Then my chain fell off right as we got into Astoria Park (at 20th). We biked through AP and then of course we had to ride to Socrates Sculpture Park (it was closed at that time), then doubled back to get on the Triboro Bridge entrance (rode behind a stinky schoolbus for part of that), finally got on the bridge, then crossed to Manhattan via Ward's Island Bridge, which was VERY gross and trashy :(. I would once again like to reiterate how I have previously failed to bike this bridge due to steepness, and this is very much a thing of the past. HA HA!!!!!

After that we went downtown via 2nd Ave and I hated it because too many mopeds, ebikes, potholes, they were repaving from E49th to like E42nd ugh, and too many peds not paying attention who had to be yelled at LOL. We went all the way to Katz's because Nate wanted a pastrami (at 8am). Then I got angry about being in that neighborhood (too hectic!) so we biked across Houston and went on the WSH to eat the sandwich.

Sitting and eating pickles and pastrami looking at New Jersey

Little Island aka Diva Cup Park

Then we kept biking up WSH and went past 125th! Which I've rarely done (the few times documented on this blog for sure)! And I stopped to learn about the Little Red Lighthouse. Nate missed it because he was busy climbing the steep part that comes right after that. We both had to dismount at the next steep part immediately following that.

Then we kept biking and saw that pillar thing that I used to have a photo of on this blog until TinyPic shut down:

Then we kept going until the path led us to this place, and we biked along it until it dead-ended. We also tried to go the other way but it was another dead end. We saw a groundhog! It was moseying along next to the path. I tried to take a photo but it ran away.

What seems to be the end of the WSH bike path?

We got off the WSH bike path, went on Dyckman, then Harlem River Drive (where we saw volcano-mulched trees!!!!), then stopped at Holcombe Rucker Park, and wiggled our way over to the Bronx. My chain fell off for the second time while going towards the Madison Ave Bridge.

After that, finally got back onto Randall's Island where I tried to blast up the ramp up to the bridge. Just checked my Strava and I am literally 1 second slower than my PR and I HATE it!!! wtf!!!! So close to beating it. I knew I could've kept accelerating, too. Dammit.

Then stopped at Lidl for snacks before going home. I had a Zoom interview. (It didn't go that well but who cares.)

After that, we went back outside (Strava here) to go to Kickstand Bicycles and buy pedals/get my chain and potentially chainring replaced. Riding down 2nd Ave for the second time today, yuck! Still too many mopeds. My chain fell off 11 blocks away from destination. Ben and Andrea remembered us and also said the chain would be fine if I just tensioned it by pulling the wheel back. I still bought a bunch of shit from them in case I need it in the future and because I like to patronize their shop. So now I have a spare chainring and chain. I'll bring the cog and tools I have in SF next time I'm here and make the upgrade. Oh and I also bought a front brake :( Yes I am here to admit defeat because it's supposed to rain this weekend and I am not trying to die if my skids or footbrake fails in unfamiliar territory.

Then rode back home; stopped at Athens Park, another must-visit fave.

Who knew this was an actual gift from Greece to Mayor Giuliani (I guess anyone who bothered to read the plaque. It's a good gift.)

Also couldn't resist attempting 75th St Pop but I was 2 seconds slower than my PR! Ugh I will try again.

Anyway we logged a bunch of miles today and I am not that tired but it was very hot today (which only sucks if you stop moving) and I am very sticky from being sweaty and accumulating dust.

[franeridart]

Anon said: Opinions on Ochamina?

Cute soft and pink! Would be my main ship for those two if I didn’t ship seromina and ochadeku as hard as I do

Anon said: Hi there i was just wondering if its okay to ask you some questions about your art tools i work on paper a lot but i want to switch to digital art and want to know what to buy to get started you know?? if its not okay to ask thats fine, have a nice day!

I use Easy Pain Tool SAI and a wacom tablet so old I’m pretty sure they don’t even make them anymore haha if you’re just starting then anything is fine, really! The first thing you’ll need to do will be to get used to the feel of it, you won’t need anything fancy for that imho

Anon said: Yet again, I’m sleepy and feeling sappy so I luv youwu~

Awwww thank you so much!!! <3<3

Anon said: well guess who now has A LOT OF FEELINGS about Seromina after your reply? This anon. Holy, now I need like all the content about them. *goes of in search* Thank you for sharing your headcanon because it made me feel a lot of fluffy feelings!! Which yay!! I need more fluffly feelings in my life!! Also love love love your art. All of it original content and everything else (with a very soft sport for kiribaku and the bakusquad)

Ah heck thank you!!! And I’m very very glad to see I could make you see why I like them!!! :D

Anon said: how do you draw hair? i keep trying digitally, but it just seems so difficult! i tend to have so much trouble because i keep comparing myself to artists like you and the way you draw/shade/highlight hair is such a mystery to me!

Hmmmmm this is a hard question because I honestly mostly just go by gut feeling - I try to keep in mind gravity when it’s applicable (aka when it’s not gravity-defying hairstyles like kiri and baku’s)? But that’s the most conscious thought I put in it by this point. This might be an annoying advice to get but as always my only proper one is to look at real life people and study the way hair naturally falls on them, studying from real life is always the fastest way to learn how to draw something as far as my experience goes... and this one is gonna be hard but try not to compare yourself too much to others? Doing things your own way at your own pace will make the learning process a lot more fun!

Anon said: opinon on the lack of kiribaku interactions in the show recently? they have been interacting less and less since the provisional exam arc :( and even lesser in the manga. i miss my bois but bless you for the content omg😭💞

The truth is that they haven’t been the protagonists of an arc at the same time for so long that they’ve had little to no reason to interact with each other, and also that when Hori has characters interacting with them in the background it’s usually to have them reprimend them or tell them to shut up and at first they covered that role for each other but now they’re such good friends that all their interactions end up being them being nice to each other and Horikoshi needs his silly sketches thrown in the background at any possible moment so now Kaminari is the one you’ll see interacting with them the most, because he’s silly and doesn’t mind being a dick to either of them whenever given the chance. Or at least that’s the conclusion I came to after rereading the manga a couple months back. On the bright side they HAVE started interacting more again! We’ve been seeing them often just chilling together in the background, so cute, I love them best friends ;;;

Anon said: User kawaiiastar has reposted some of ur art just wanna let u know :)

Thank you for letting me know, I’ll look into it and see if I can get it removed orz

Anon said: ur drawings are so warm but like?? i just realized how much u talk in the tags and so ive been reading them and they actually add alot to ur art and its entertaining. idk just a little thing :) never stop doing krbk aus if you enjoy them!! would love to see stucky and soul eater if you can !! and i hear u about the reposters. they are all over instagram and its honestly quite upsetting. ive heard of artists that left the fandom because of it which is unfortunate. hope you are having a great day!

Hahaha I’m glad you like my talking too much in the tags since sometimes I just can’t avoid it lmao I have many things to say about my stuff most time than not..... anyway, I hope you’ll have a wonderful day too!

Anon said: i fight instagramers every day for you 💞

Thank you ;;;;;;;;

Anon said:  I love you so please stay safe!!

Thank you!!! I hope you’ll stay safe too, anon!!!

Anon said: During quarantine all I have to look forward to is your posts, it’s always great to check tumblr for the 14th time and see a new post by you.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; heck, I’m so glad I can make this tiring time a little more pleasant to you, anon!! <3

Anon said: I have class (online) at 8am and it’s currently 3:42am yet I couldn’t stop scrolling on your page!!! I’ve been going through the tags for like 30 minutes omg. I came to look at your seromina stuff and now I’m looking at EVERYTHING. I’ve been following you for so long and I love your art so much I’m screaming! I’m literally accidentally unliking then liking everything again cuz I’ve seen it all and keep forgetting I already liked it! Your account is like food for my soul ily!!!!! Thank you sm!!!

Ahhhhh anon thank you so so much!!!! You’re so kind I’m gonna tear up TTATT please do try to sleep next time you have to wake up early!!

Anon said: I read a headcanon saying Bakugo smoked. That would never happen because Kirishima would kill him.

To be fair that would never happen because he straight up said so in the first chapter of the manga lmao but I’m of the opinion that if people want to ignore canon in their headcanons to have fun they have all the power to do so!

Anon said: Idk if you’ve been asked this before, but how do you feel about Momo x Jirou? :D and I love your art!

One of my top Jirou ships! I’ve drawn stuff for them in the past actually, they’re in my momojirou tag!

Anon said: I love you way more than it’s healthy.

Thank you ;;;;;;;;; I love you a whole damn lot too, anon <3<3

[youngnari]

My Love, My Home // Kim Dongyoung

—Notes : This is a rewrite from my first scenario I posted in the past and I thought the whole plot suits the man I love so dearly, i just had to dedicate it to him. I hope you all will enjoy this plot and please drop me a feedback or be my friend?

—Wc : 9302 words

—Warning : contains profanity aka swearing in some, and mentions of sexual tension

—Pairing : ceo!Kim Doyoung x female!reader

—Genre : 5 spoons of fluff + pinch of angst

—Summary : With the challenge of finding a stable job, you found it hard to achieve your life long dream on settling into a place you can call home. 

Where home doesn’t always means a place you lived in, but a person

Home; under its roof, you are always protected.

It is a place you grow up in, where you seek warmth; a home is your haven from the brutal world. You could say that you spent almost your entire life in that one house you shared with your parents, because even when you moved out for college, that was the only place you ever wanted to be. You always had the urge to come back; even when you were out for holiday or a school camp and sleepover, nothing felt right but your own home.

There were many memories in your home. From the first day you entered primary school, high school graduation, stressing over your college application and praying so hard to be accepted, until the day you officially moved out for the first time into a mini version of the home you had lived in for so long.

Changes; that’s what everyone said. Your life had to move on, from living under your parents’ roof to dealing with the reality outside of your own comfort zone. You moved out of your home country and had to face college.

In that time of your life, you kind of downgraded a little. You remembered struggling to cope with your roommate, a person who was the direct opposite of you. Hence, it was hard for you to welcome her into your small bubble. But that wasn’t all, you missed home-cooked meals from your parents. You regretted not taking your mom’s offer of teaching you how to cook, resulting you to depend on campus meals on weekdays and toast with instant ramen on the weekend. You remembered breaking down, crying because of how homesick you were. You could have cared less if people thought you were weak, vulnerable for not being able to deal with the change. At that time, you wanted nothing but your home. You missed it.

But life went on, and in a snap, you were out of the college dorm and moving into a new home. A rundown apartment you thought was ready to collapse if someone accidentally sneezed on it.

When you graduated from college, you struggled to find a stable job. Every job opportunity you found you poured out your heart and soul on the resumes and during interviews. You only hoped for a job that could pay you above minimum wage, at least to give you the assurance to pay your rent and monthly needs every month. Often you found yourself stressing with bills and fees, splitting change and cash for food and groceries. Your parents always encouraged you to go through life like it’s nothing, and once you can see through your own capabilities it will get better.

It was tough, but you went through it all. For him.

A stable job which paid you generously, often you find it hard to believe the paycheck you received every end of the month. You moved to a more decent apartment where you could live comfortably, without being too paranoid about your life and having to use your life insurance. But also, a boyfriend.

And it started with a stupid, all too good to be true accident at your previous job.

2 years ago, you struggled to find a stable job. Every company that rejected you often said you were too slow, clumsy, and not good enough to work under the company. You were mad, ready to burn down the whole association, but you knew better. You walked out of the glass doors, screaming at your thin-walled apartment, and got filed for causing a disturbance in your floor.

That lead you to having to pay a fine, leaving you to spend more money that you didn’t have due to your own carelessness. So, you did what you had to do. Take any opportunities of any random job you could find, you ended up as a barista in a small café near the downtown area. It didn’t pay you enough, just barely for you to survive. But you still did it anyway, since you couldn’t find a proper job you had to do anything to continue to survive.

That café quickly become your new home.

The coffee shop opened at 8am and closed at 9pm, and you had a full time shift. You couldn’t consider the café to always be crowded; there was a decent handful of customers and they were mostly regulars. And amongst those regulars was your boyfriend—well, soon-to-be boyfriend.

You were wiping the tables and aligning the chairs on the floor to keep the whole space neat. You did all the cleaning and prepping for the shop before it opened. Right as the clock hit 8.10AM, you hear the bell chime from the door, signaling a customer had arrived. Every morning, without fail, it was the same man.

He had sleek black hair and sharp doe eyes, lean and tall. Whenever he walked into the shop, he gave off an aura of dominance and integrity. Always dressed formally with a suit, tailored specifically to fit his figure. You would be lying if you said you weren’t intimidated. But you couldn’t deny, that man was gorgeous, beautiful, and coffee deprived.

“Hello, welcome back!” You smiled enthusiastically, greeting the all too familiar stranger.

He had his eyebrows furrowed, looking at you like some outer being not from earth. How does one look so happy and jolly so early in the morning, he had thought a few times. But he wasn’t going to voice his question, as he had better things to do. His eyes scanned the menu board behind you, displaying all the beverages that were available. His gaze traveled to the display glass presenting all the baked goods, from sweet pastries to savory sandwiches.

“Today’s special is the breakfast croissant, we made a few fresh batches at the back if you are interested.” You said, catching his attention once again. He looked at you in a stoic manner, then he nodded curtly.

You took his order, ready to ask for his payment but he was ready to interject. He didn’t tell you about what coffee he wanted. You saw him hesitating, debating if it was appropriate to argue so early in the morning. You smiled.

“Americano, right?” You asked him. He snapped his head up to look at you, eyes widening in surprise.

“Americano with no sugar or syrup, extra shot. The usual?” You asked once again. He stood there for a while and nodded, and that was enough to send you off to make his order.

He watched you as you worked, hands gracefully pulling each machine together to make a cup of coffee. He was impressed, he didn’t need to spare you any word and you already knew his order. Without much thought, he had a small smile plastered on his face. But it was soon wiped away when you came back around the counter to give him his order, packed in a paper bag.

Silently, he gave you the money and you took it gratefully.

“Here’s your ch—” You didn’t have the time to give him back the change as he rushed out of the door just as he slid the paper bill.

“Thank you for dropping b—” and the door closed with the sound of the bell, his figure completely disappeared.

Thus was the pattern of your morning routine in the coffee shop. You wiped the tables and aligned the chairs when you finished mopping, and just right on time around 8.10AM he was back inside the café. Often you expected him to make small talk or even give you a small audible thank you, but he never did. You would quietly make his cup of coffee and pack the daily’s special in a paper bag for him to takeaway, then he paid you far too much from the actual total and rushed off like nothing ever happened. You weren’t complaining, but it was weird. You had your fair share of regulars coming in, often making small talk with you, even to the extent of complementing you at how well you remember their order and details despite you only working there for a few months. You smiled at them politely and went back to continue your work, closing the shop when you are done.

Walking down to the bus stop you often found yourself thinking about him and the generous tip he always left. Maybe that’s how he says thank you, you thought. You smiled a little remembering how surprised he always got when you prepared his order, it was as if you knew him personally.

But one morning, he didn’t show up.

You didn’t hear the bell chime when the clock hit 8.10AM, he didn’t come. You had his order made, the fresh batch of the daily’s special and his coffee; you waited. The clock hit 8.30AM and he still wasn’t there, did he run into traffic? You felt the paper bag getting wet due to the steam from the goods, now becoming cold. His coffee grew colder as each second passed, but you still waited. It was stupid for you to expect the appearance of a stranger, but to you he wasn’t just any stranger. He left you a bigger impression than any of your regulars, you didn’t know how to put it together. He had become a part of your routine, to the point it carried into your mind so deeply when he didn’t show up.

But he did come, late.

When the clock hit 8.55AM, the door harshly slammed open causing you to wince. He was there, panting like a wild man. His hair for once was a mess instead of the usual sleek slicked back style, blazer gripped in his hand, and his tie just hung lifelessly around his neck. You were stunned; by shock, confusion, but also happiness.

Just as you were preparing, you heard shuffling from behind the counter. You took a small peak and caught him fixing up his appearance. He moved gracefully; from the way his hands worked on the loose fabric around his neck, to him tucking in his shirt and putting on the blazer. And in no time, you saw him like how he always looked, neat and proper.

You slid the paper bag and coffee across the counter, giving the fresh order for him. He didn’t immediately pay, his eyes lingered on the untouched cup of coffee and damp paper bag at the counter behind you. You followed his gaze, cursing at yourself for not taking it to the back like you planned to.

“Sorry, that was uhm… your usual order.” You explained. His eyes turned towards you, looking at you with the most intimidating stare ever.

“Why?” He asked.

Your heart jolted at the sound of his voice. Was it possible to feel nervous yet enamored from someone’s tone? The way his word slipped from his lips; they were smooth but with a hint of seriousness at the end. You swallowed the lump in your throat, clearing it as you tried to speak again.

“Because…you always come as soon as the shop opens. And I thought you might have some important things to do at work? I didn’t want to waste your time.” You whispered out, but it was enough to be heard in the empty shop.

He smiled a little, looking at how pure you seemed. He had woken up late that morning due to him finishing a project for his company, causing him to sleep later than his usual 1am to a 4am. He woke up abruptly from his co-worker, demanding his whereabouts are. He mouthed a small fuck under his breath, noticing he was late for work and a meeting that was happening in half an hour. So, he dashed out like a madman.

The thing is, he was already late when he came into the café. He could’ve made it just in time to the company if he hadn’t made any random stops. But he did, at the café he goes to every morning. This time, it was no exception. He parked his car at the shop beside the café and went in. He winced when he looked at himself in the glass door, he looked like a mess instead of a CEO. But all the stress he had soon disappeared the moment he saw your figure jolting as the bell chimed, your eyes widening when you noticed it was him.

He smiled at your effort, liking the way how you still waited and prepared everything for him despite him being late. He couldn’t help but feel warm and soft inside and he let out a small smile. You stared at him in surprise, your mouth ajar as you heard the words coming out of his mouth. He checked the time on this Rolex and internally sighed, he was later than ever.

He quickly took his order in his hands and slid the money over the counter to you. But just as he was going to leave the shop, he gave you one last nod. This time with a smile on his face, seemingly in a good mood so suddenly.

“It’s Doyoung, by the way. Thank you.” He said, motioning towards the paper bag of pastries and coffee. Then he was out, leaving you more shocked than ever.

***

The last encounter of your so-called home during the fifth month of you worked in the café, around closing time. You were busy mopping and cleaning the empty space, ready to turn off the lights and lock the door, it wasn’t until you heard a light tap on the door that you halted all of you actions.

You spun slightly, not expecting any more customers as you had flipped the open sign to closed by then. But it wasn’t just anyone, it was Doyoung.

You looked at the clock, it was past 9 at night and you were more than confused as to what brought him here so suddenly. You walked towards the door and Doyoung pointed at the closed sign by it, seemingly asking you permission if he could come in. You weren’t supposed to let anyone in at that point, but he looked different that night. He looked drained, there wasn’t any light in his eyes. So, you unlocked the door for him.

He sat on the pick-up counter, not wanting to sabotage the chairs you had just lined up. You didn’t complain, fetching him a hot drink to ease his ongoing nerves. For once you saw Doyoung in distress; his hair a mess, shirt not buttoned properly, his sleeves rolled up, and his tie hung loosely on his neck. You placed the warm mug near him, which he took gratefully. He took a sip, and he felt the sweetness coating his taste buds. He let out a small groan as he pulled his lips away from the mug, examining the brown warm substance in it.

“Hot chocolate,” you said, smiling at him.

He furrowed his eyebrows, squinting at the mug in confusion. This was not his usual coffee; it was thicker, sweet, and had the aftertaste of bitterness. Oddly enough, he liked the change. He looked at you, catching your gaze full of wonder.

“I know you usually come here for coffee. But do you seriously expect that I’ll give you caffeine when it’s already nearing 10PM?” You asked him, a tint of sarcasm lacing your tone which caught him by surprise.

“It’s good.” he said curtly, causing you to smile wider.

“Right? This is one of my favorite drinks ever!” you exclaimed, now giggling like a child.

Doyoung continued to sip the warm drink. He could feel a tingling sensation all over his body due to the contrast of flavors of the drink. Doyoung wasn’t a big fan of sweet things, he cringed whenever he thought of having to inject extra amounts of sugar in his body. This, the hot chocolate you made for him, he had to admit it was amazing. It was sweet but thick, and once he took a small gulp down this throat, he could taste the bitter aftertaste that lingered around his mouth. He had thought, coming here wouldn’t do much for his stress due to his work. You proved him otherwise, and in return he received a sweet treat.

He watched you as you cleaned the remaining dishes, not even complaining you had to serve him so late at night when it was way past closing time. You could feel there was tension on his shoulders, weight in his eyes. It was hard for you to completely ignore him and lock him out at night. You turned around, looking at his figure sitting on the counter, his eyes locked on the mug which was now empty but still in his grip, not wanting to let it go.

You went closer to his side, slowly taking the mug from his grasp. That was enough to get him to snap back to reality, his hands flinching when he felt the small touch of your hand. You paused, afraid you might had triggered him, or hurt him. But the abrupt force he caused sent a shock wave down your nerves, causing both of you to lose grip of the white porcelain mug. It fell, following gravity before smashing onto the floor. The shards flew, spreading across the shop’s front area. There were a few remaining sips of hot chocolate which splattered onto the floor.

“I am so sorry!” You said, looking at Doyoung frantically as he stared at you, equally in shock. He shook his head a little, his eyes saddened as he felt like he was the one at fault, not you. Quickly you tried to collect all the shards, careful not to scratch your hands. Doyoung jumped down from the counter and knelt beside you to help, you tried to argue but he only gave you a stern look causing you to eat your words up.

It was silence for a few seconds, all you could hear was his breathing coming from right beside you. You sighed a little, there goes a little part of your paycheck.

“Do you always work here, morning to night?” He asked, his voice small, a little hesitant.

“Yea, I took the full shift.” You replied him, tossing the broken shards in a bin once you collected enough. Doyoung nodded in acknowledgement, finally noticing how often he saw you every time he passed the shop on his way home, catching your figure closing the shop and walking away from it.

“Do you like your work?” He asked again, a little more confidence in his tone now.

You smiled sadly in response. Doyoung caught how your eyes dimmed a little, not quite knowing what he had expecting when he asked the question.

“I do like it. But I feel like I can do better.” You said, whispering the words as you reached the end. That was enough to spark up his interest more. He looked at you, waiting for you to continue but you quietly stood your ground. You grabbed a mop, quickly mopping the liquid before it dried up and became a sticky mess. Doyoung didn’t do anything much but stand on the sideline, watching every action you were doing in a daze.

“My life has been about me moving from one place to another. I identified every place I stayed as my home; from my parents’ house that I grew up in, to my college dorm, and now I live in a rundown apartment where this café is my only source of income to continue living.” You said

“Is it enough?” He asked again, his tone softer than usual with a hint of sadness at the end.

You smiled and shook your head a little, letting him know that you are barely surviving.

“My degree didn’t help me much. I applied here and there in hopes I would be hired for at least one company of my choice, but I always got turned down.” That caught his attention.

“Why?” Doyoung took another step closer, catching how your figure jolted awake by the question. You didn’t face him, afraid you might break down while recalling the harsh words that had been spat at you during every interview. But Doyoung could see, he knew your struggle was almost the same as his.

“Because I wasn’t good enough.” Your voice cracked at the end.

Doyoung wanted to fight that argument, but he didn’t know if he was in the right position to judge those people for you. He rested a hand on your shoulder, giving you an awkward pat in hopes of comforting you. Doyoung looked at his own action in confusion; he wasn’t always the best at comforting people, but he tried. You willed yourself to stop crying and hurled around to face him, and that was the moment things started.

Doyoung didn’t know what went into his mind at that moment. But when he saw the look on your face, your cheeks wet from tears and eyes still glistening, he thought you looked ethereal. Doyoung’s breathing hitched, not fully understanding the odd feeling inside his stomach. Yet, he knew what he wanted. Without a second to waste, you were caught off guard once again by this unfamiliar stranger in front of you.

His lips found their way onto yours, fitting perfectly as they molded together. You couldn’t consider it a hot make-out, it was a simple heartwarming type of kiss. You felt him pull away, almost wanting to whine, immediately missing his warmth. Doyoung wasn’t done, he pulled you in once again straight after he took another breath. His hands wrapped around you, one gripping on your exposed skin on your waist and the other around the back of your head. You could feel his grip, it was strong but not enough to hurt you, his fingers tangled through your hair, desperately trying to pull you close. You gasped a little, and he found his entrance. You swore you felt like your head might explode, the whole feeling wasn’t entirely new to you, but it felt so surreal. You find yourself gripping on his shirt, balling it up in your fist, causing him to groan into the kiss. You could taste the remains of the chocolate, it tasted sweeter than usual. You could taste him, and you wanted more.

He pulled away once again, lids heavy as he stared at your face. You didn’t know what to expect, but you knew you couldn’t read Doyoung, the man was too unpredictable for you to read. He dipped his head back down for another kiss, this time much softer and slower. You smiled into the kiss, feeling his own lips twitch to form a smile, but he resisted.

That night, Doyoung waited for you to get your things and he helped you close the shop. He took your stuff in his hand, using the other to open his car door for you to sit. During that late-night drive, with the light emitted from the traffic lights, you saw him smile softly.

“Did you call your boss?” he asked, tone almost a whisper. You nodded.

“Good, your shift starts tomorrow at 8.30AM. I want to see coffee and breakfast on my desk before I arrive, Y/N.” Doyoung demanded, without a single glint in his eyes. He was serious.

He didn’t let you wave him  goodbye nor did he watch you get into your apartment; all he did was unbuckle your seat belt, rushing you to get out, and he drove away in full speed.

That night, he became the reason of your on-going journey, having to settle down in a new home.

***

You could say just like that, your whole journey to seek the perfect home stopped. You finally got what you wanted. Or so you thought, almost.

Doyoung was the one who helped you along the way. That one meeting was enough to send you into a spiral of unending expectations. Because of him you finally had a stable job working under his label. He helped you find a more decent place to settle down, now living like an actual normal human being. And he is the guy of every girl dreams, he is simply too good to be true.

But, Doyoung is a great liar.

You had no idea Doyoung held up a title in the company he worked in. He had told you that night that he was a simple worker in the Kim industries, always on the edge to finish up projects on the latest technology to be released for the government security. You thought it was impressive: a man so young given such a complex duty. He lied.

He wasn’t a normal worker he said, he was the goddamn CEO. And you learnt about his title the hard way.

When Doyoung told you that he wanted breakfast, you obliged. You brought the familiar paper bag containing some pastries and his usual cup of coffee. The problem you faced that early morning was to figure out which floor he worked on. But since you were new, you had to ask the lady at the front desk at the information counter.

“Can I ask which floor Doyoung works in?” You politely asked.

Her slender fingers stopped typing on the keyboard, her eyes traveling from the monitor up to your figure. She looked confused, you could tell by her furrowing eyebrows and small frown.

“Mr. Kim?” She asked back.

You blinked innocently at her, tilting your head to show your ongoing confusion.

“He uh…just told me to bring him breakfast.” You said dumbly, but that was enough to ring a bell on the woman’s head.

“Ah! I shall assume you are Mr. Kim’s new secretary.” She concluded.

The next thing she did was escort you towards the lift, press the highest level of the building, and gave you a wave of goodbye and a pleasant smile for good luck.

And she meant it when she signed good luck.

It had been 2 weeks since you started working for Doyoung, and you thought he was out to kill you. Every single morning after you delivered his breakfast, he asked about his schedules and meetings, then the human labor started. He would send you off running from one floor to another, demanding each department for files and documents, preparing the meeting rooms by copying each file in hard copy, to answering his unwanted calls from nosy companies who kept demanding either updates of his recent projects or just an invitation for a party.

It was nearing lunch break, and you thought your legs were about to give out. You slammed the glass door open, stumbling in to slap the file in your hand on his glass table. Doyoung looked up at you through his reading glasses before lowering his gaze down again to finish reading the spread before him.

“This is the copy you wanted, and the tech department said they are going to give you the whole proposal by 5pm the latest.” You huffed, letting out a sigh.

Doyoung smiled, nodding his head a little at your report.

“Too long, tell them to finish it by 4pm or I’m giving everyone extra shifts on the weekend.” He said casually, giving random commands as he pleased.

Doyoung had expected you to blow up or get irritated by his bossy behavior at the very least. But you did nothing aside from giving him a slight nod and mumbling a small, “Noted”

“C-Can I rest for a while?” You asked, whining at the end.

Doyoung looked up from his documents, a hand running up the side of his head to scratch it. His eyes stared at you lazily, but also with a hint of disinterest. You swallowed a lump, not fully knowing what to expect from your boss. Doyoung was always so emotionless, it was to the brink you could no longer understand his moods or behavior. You sighed, dragging yourself towards the door.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t stay here.” Your whole body jerked awake, not expecting him to speak. You turn around slowly, looking at him for confirmation or if he was only playing with you.

“Come here” he commanded. His tone was different from how he usually gave out orders or asked you to finish a task, it wasn’t the usual harsh strict tone; that was gone. He wasn’t showing his dominance or giving you his typical stern look that he gave his employees, reminding them who he was and why they were chosen to work in such a prestigious company.

No, it wasn’t. His tone was small, soft like he was singing a lullaby. He seemed like he was whispering, afraid if he hitched up another octave in his voice you would break. He looked at you, seemingly needy, wanting you. That was enough to pull you to his side.

His hands were gentle, very gentle. He caressed your exposed arm, sending a jolt of electricity through your system. Then, slowly, he pulled you down. His force was enough to cause you to tumble down, but not fall harshly on him. Doyoung positioned himself to make room for you to sit more comfortably on his lap. His arm easily circled around your waist, securing yourself so you wouldn’t fall. His other travelled up from your arm, to your shoulder, neck, finally resting upon your cheek. You shivered under his touch; it was as light as a feather. Doyoung smiled at the reaction, slowly pulling you down for a kiss.

Gentle, he was so very gentle. The kiss was light, feather-like kiss on your lips, but it was enough to show how passionate he was. You sighed in the kiss, thinking how his whole living being was too good to be true. This man, right in front of you was yours. Yours, completely yours.

When he pulled away, he gazed at you in adoration. Doyoung had expected you to break in a few days from the pressure of the job, but you did such an amazing job, far better than his past secretaries. He was a proud man, his heart bloomed at the sight of you so vulnerable and hypnotized under his touch. He loved it.

He remembered the first few times you entered his office, you were fuming with embarrassment. Hiding your face in your hands, you complained about him.

“You didn’t tell me you were the CEO of this freaking empire!” You groaned out.

“First of all, it’s an industry like the name says here.” he said calmly, tapping on the metal nameplate on his desk that read ‘Kim Doyoung’ as a title and ‘CEO of Kim Industry’.

“Tell me, what did you do?” he asked. You didn’t know if you were supposed to feel offended by his accusation or impressed by his assumption.

“Did you realize how embarrassed I was when I ran to each department demanding documents and designs, then being dumb and saying ‘Oh! And Doyoung wants this done by 3!’. They were looking at me like I was mad!” You grumbled.

“I did tell you I work in this company.” he said calmly.

“Yea! But you literally own this whole building! What are you? Real life playboy, asshole, billionaire Tony Stark?!” Your voice rose the more you ranted.

Doyoung only looked at you unamused, his eyebrow raised in question.

“Okay, maybe not an asshole.” You defended. But he was still not impressed.

“…or a playboy?” You stopped, hesitating at your own description of him.

“Are you a playboy?” You asked, this time serious with concern laced around your expression. That one sentence was enough to send him into unending laughter. One sincere pure laugh that rang around his office.

Doyoung always laughed whenever he thought about it, you were simply too pure.

He had hesitated to take you in knowing how harsh the industry could be, especially since everyone saw him as a competitor. It was true Doyoung started the whole company, but he was very young back then. No one acknowledged his capabilities or ideas when he first entered the business world, everyone saw him as a child. But Doyoung proved them wrong, because he knew his own capabilities. And he used it to his own advantage, starting small and with nothing but scraps, he continued building his father’s company, completely taking it over. That was when people began to notice him, not as a kid but as someone whom they should fear.

“Go back to work, Y/N. You need to remember this is a workplace.” He said, pushing you out of his lap coldly. You looked at him in shock by the sudden change of behavior.

Your eyes rested on his figure once again, lingering on him but he didn’t respond. You sighed, tired by his sudden push and pull behavior; it was going to take a toll on you sooner or later. You didn’t argue with him any further. You simply nodded, bid your goodbye, and left his office.

When he saw the glass-door close from the far corner of his eyes, he leaned back in his seat and sighed. I’m such a dick, the words lingered around his head, pounding against his skull.

He hated himself sometimes.

Having so much pressure at such a young age did take a toll on him. Doyoung had this mechanism of pushing people away from him, from the snobs who just came to him for business opportunities, females luring him for one night stands, it exposed him to how disgusting people could get once they locked targets to settle a business for their own benefits. It disgusted him to the core.

His problem regarding issues with peoples caused him to shut off from socializing further than a few close friends and business associates. Others he pushed away as if they were nothing. The whole self-defense mechanism to protect himself didn’t just cause him to push those he doesn’t trust away, but he also pushed away those who sincerely cared.

You were no exception.

Doyoung adored you, he loved you dearly. But he was still hesitant which frustrated you to no end. You tried to understand him. You knew that he was a very hardworking man, always so passionate and enthusiastic about his work, and you adored that side of him. You thought that was one thing that made him special.

You couldn’t blame much on him. Well you wanted to, especially since the affection and compliments Doyoung spared you were close to none. Or the fact that both of you never actually went out as a normal couple. You took it in, hoping that it would all be okay. Especially since his whole empire was slowly becoming a bigger part of your life, another home.

***

You had your first argument when you passed the 8 months milestone. The reason being Kim Doyoung.

You remembered that morning you rode up the elevator to his office, carrying his usual breakfast. But as the elevator door opened, you were welcomed by the sight of him in his usual neat style, wrapped up in his suit and a suitcase beside him.

Doyoung greeted you with a small nod, proceeding to type on his phone once again. You walked closer to him, wanting to peek at whatever he was doing, but he simply turned towards you and hid his phone in his pocket. He casually took his coffee and bit into his sandwich, humming in what you thought was approval.

“Are you going somewhere?” You asked him. Doyoung only nodded, still ravishing the food in the paper bag. You could only watch, not knowing how to push another on-going question that kept wandering into your mind.

Suddenly, the elevator door dinged open, catching your attention as Doyoung stayed unbothered. He sipped on his coffee, waiting for the newcomer to come over to his desk. You stared at the man in curiosity; he was as tall and lean as Doyoung, but his facial structure was much softer compared to Doyoung. He smiled widely at Doyoung, startling him by pulling him into a hug.

“Look at you! You’ve grown so much!” He said. Doyoung only nodded, giving him a small smile.

“Thank you again for coming to replace me whilst I’m gone, brother.” Doyoung replied.

“Don’t mention it, go kill those meetings! When you come back, I’m expecting an extravagant meal!” He said, making Doyoung chuckle a little.

Doyoung turned around and faced you, nodding curtly at you once again. He took his suitcase in his hand, pulling it closer to his body as he looked at you, eyes stern.

“I am off for a business meeting overseas for a few months, for the time being my brother is in chargs. Be sure to follow his orders and I expect no damages or flaws in this company whilst I am gone. Do you understand?” He interrogated, his tone pressed more firmly at the question, expecting you to answer him with a yes no matter what. You nodded, not trusting your voice if you tried to speak out.

“Good.” And he was off.

Your legs were rooted in place, scared that if you were to move an inch it might trigger a bomb in Doyoung’s mind. You let out a sigh when he disappeared. You gazed sadly at the missing male, not fully excited by his short goodbye. No kisses, no hugs, nothing.

Doyoung was still Doyoung.

“I’m Kim Gongmyung,” you snapped out of your daze, looking at the other figure present in the room.

“I’m Doyoung’s brother.”

You gaped at his statement. Doyoung had a brother? You were struck in awe. The more you looked over his features, you could see the similarities between him and Doyoung. You extended a hand for a handshake, but he only waved it off with a laugh.

“No need for such formalities, Y/N. I know you, Doyoung told me about you.” You didn’t know what got into your mind when he said that, Doyoung talked about you to his brother. Was it a sign for another step between you and him then? Or did he just tell his brother about your position in the company, merely there to serve?

“He did?” You asked.

“Well aside of mentioning he’s seeing someone, he did also say he took a new secretary in the company, which I shall assume either one is you. Congratulations, you are the only secretary who ever lasted this long with that short-tempered guy.” He remarked, tone filled with amusement.

He was very different from Doyoung. Doyoung was winter, always so cold and curt, never once showing any signs of softness, laughter or even smiles. His brother was the plain opposite; he was warm and welcoming, his face set in a permanent dazzling smile. You were very surprised and impressed by how different the two proved to be.

You sighed a little, a little part of you wanting Doyoung to be able to express himself rather than being the cold and strict boss everyone perceived him as.

Gongmyung had noticed your behavior, often looking down and sighing like a puppy being kicked. He thought back to a few weeks, how Doyoung had called him during the middle of the night. The younger had ordered him, or what Gongmyung would like to call his brother begging him to take over his company whilst he was gone. He knew Doyoung could only trust him as they grew up together, hence it wasn’t so hard for him to say yes. But the other reason for Doyoung to do this was also so there would be someone supervising you.

He had listened to Doyoung’s rants about his workplace, filled with people complaining about life and their work despite how they wanted it. But you were the one who never once let out a whine or a sigh about your work, causing Doyoung to favor you more than his other employees, regardless of your relationship. Doyoung was scared to leave you alone on his trip, he thought you might hinder him from his work. So, he asked his brother to keep his trip a secret.

Now, his brother was staring at you in amusement. You hadn’t shown any discontent with the lack of love and enthusiasm in your relationship with Doyoung; you simply accepted it.

Gongmyung had dauntlessly scolded Doyoung to not be so cold to you, to give you an exception since you were his lover. But Doyoung shrugged him off, mumbling ‘it’s not any of your business, shut up’. He wouldn’t try to argue with him, merely shaking his head in disapproval and clicking his tongue before giving him the same old speech:

“Don’t take her patience for granted, Doyoung. I can genuinely see how she really cares about you. Treat her, take her out on a date. She’s human too and she’s yours.” He would say as an opening but Doyoung always chose to ignore him.

“She’s different, Doyoung. Wait till you lose her, you will regret it.”

Those words had left Doyoung in a daze for a few days, thinking if the way he had treated you was considered fair. But the thought soon got thrown away, as he was a man dedicated to his work.

Each day went by slowly, and you hated how the time slowly slipped away.

Gongmyung was similarly strict, but not as strict as Doyoung. He would often give you tasks, orders but often leave you a question of ‘is it too much?’ which always caught you off-guard. You would often dismiss his question, quickly finishing the papers and passing them back to Gongmyung for a final check. You were proud to say that you probably left him a big impression of you.

But truly, that’s not what you wanted.

Your whole routine by then was obvious. Finishing copying files and paperwork, submitting it to Gongmyung as a final draft, and then checking your phone for any updates or replies from Doyoung. You did this for around two months, and you would shamelessly admit so far you had heard barely anything from Doyoung.

In a span of three months you came to learn his pattern of keeping in touch. He would text you approximately three times a day to ask about work: how was the company doing, and why were you always on your phone. Others such as phone calls or video calls were short and abrupt, with you calling him to check up on him and mostly being rejected with him replying ‘I am busy right now’ on text and leaving you unread for an entire day. But, if you were lucky, he would pick it up and let you talk about your day while he was fully immersed in his own world; doing his work, reading his book, or just typing madly on his laptop.

“It feels odd having to order people about my breakfast every morning, usually I have you to prepare it.” Doyoung mentioned during one of your calls. You perked up when he said that, thinking it was a way of him saying that he missed you or indicating that he did need you in his life.

“Do you miss me?” You asked him shyly. He didn’t answer.

“I’m getting used to the changes.” He finally replied, and that was a slap in your face kind of answer. You didn’t reply or continue the conversation, because you didn’t know how to.

In the end, when he noticed you weren’t talking or replying to him anymore, without a proper goodbye – he ended the call.

You didn’t know how things went downhill; the spark simply vanished.

You remembered crying over the phone, each word painful as you pulled them out of your throat. You were tired, exhausted because of him. It only started with one question, and it ended with both of you arguing.

“What am I to you?” You had asked him, examining his features through the grainy screen of your phone. You did miss him, a lot.

He paid no attention towards you, eyes glued on his papers in hand. Doyoung had noticed your change in behavior, suddenly becoming more confident and each question you threw at him becoming bolder. He glanced at his own screen, your eyes attached to his figure. You were waiting for his answer, like you always did.

“Don’t ask such nonsense right now, Y/N. Aren’t you supposed to be working right now?” He quipped.

You didn’t say anything at first, but you were done. You didn’t get any updates about his work and when was he coming back, you knew nothing. Both of you never went out as a normal couple, he never even treated you like his girlfriend. You were confused, but mostly you were tired of being pulled in whenever he needed you only to be pushed away like nothing.

“You don’t care about me.” You mumbled out, but it was audible enough for him to hear through the speaker of his phone. He got irritated; it was a very prominent expression imprinted on his face.

“What are you talking about, I do care.” He said strictly.

“Since when? Where? You always leave me behind like a clueless child. You do nothing for me, Doyoung. You pull me into your bubble just for me to end up being pushed away like trash. Do you seriously think I’m dumb enough not to notice?” You fumed, voice raising in volume.

“I’ve tried everything, I try to understand you, to support you in your work and in your life. What have you ever done for me? It’s always been me who tolerates your ego and obsession with your work, yet I never get the same from you! You never regard me as your lover, there’s nothing for me to gain in this relationship!” Every single word you threw out burned your throat; it felt dry as your eyes glistened. You didn’t care if he was still listening, you were tired.

“I love you, Doyoung. I truly do— But I don’t think you feel the same way and I’m tired.” You whispered.

“Y/N…”

“You’re right, I should get back to work. I’m sorry to trouble you, Mr. Kim.” And like that, his screen turned black.

Doyoung groaned loudly, a hand running through his hair in frustration. Great, he did mess up. He sighed, knowing texting or calling you again wouldn’t be a good idea. Doyoung swore he could see Gongmyung judging him, shaking his head in disapproval.

“I told you so.” He would probably say to irk him, but at this rate could Doyoung even blame his actions?

“Kim Doyoung, you are such an asshole.” He sighed.

***

You ran away from the company. Well, took a few weeks leave.

You came in to Gongmyung’s office a mess, explaining your whole mental state wasn’t to continue working. Gongmyung , understanding what had happened, gave you a smile and a wave, ushering you out of the company with nothing in exchange.

“I’ll call my secretary in as a temporary replacement, come back when you feel better!” He had said as he waved you goodbye.

It had been 3 weeks since your whole argument with Doyoung and he still hadn’t contacted you. You stare at your phone in defeat, there was not a single call or text message from him. You gave up, it was officially over. At this rate you would have to move out again and try to hunt down other jobs available. You had thought to go back to working at the café you identified dearly as one of your homes, but in the end, you crossed it off your list. Knowing too well that if you worked there again, there was a bigger chance of you seeing Doyoung, and you didn’t want that.

You sighed, walking down the pavement with your groceries. You thought again, how long did you have left before your bank account dwindled down to nothing? You stared at your groceries with a saddened gaze, things were changing so quickly.

You unlocked the door of your apartment, putting the bag on your kitchen counter. You went into your room for a change before heading back downstairs to put away the newly bought goods. You were halfway done when you were interrupted by a sudden knock on the front door. You paused, was it your landlord? But you remembered you paid that month’s rent two days ago. The knock came again, this time more rapidly. You walked towards it, peeking out the peep hole to reveal the intruder. It was Doyoung.

You gasped loudly, slapping a hand over your mouth. Your heart drummed, not wanting to face him just yet, why was he back so suddenly? It was fine, he probably didn’t hear you. You could just act like you weren’t home and he would go away; everything would be okay.

“I know you’re in there, Y/N. Open up or I’ll kick this door open.” He ordered.

Your eyes widened in shocked. Did he just threaten you? No, he wouldn’t. And you knew for a fact Doyoung was not a man who solved his problems with violence, he wouldn’t knock your door down just for this.

Before you could think for too long, you heard a click on your door as it swung open. You stared at it in surprise, not expecting the wooden door to open up so easily. You stood rooted in your place, gaping at the sight as it revealed Doyoung standing at the end, his face unimpressed.

“Didn’t I tell you to never hide your spare key under the doormat?” He hissed out with a venomous tone. You scowled at his greeting, not fully enlightened to be welcomed back by his attitude.

“Why are you here?” You mumbled.

Doyoung stopped, his irritation pausing. Then, he let out a heavy sigh.

“To apologize,” He said simply. You scoffed at his answer and Doyoung knew all too well you were not in favor of him right now.

“No, really. I am here to say I’m sorry.” He insisted. You didn’t react, you stood there waiting for him to continue.

“Look Y/N, listen,” his voice was soft, pleading for you to not push him away. Doyoung stared at you with a broken gaze. For the first time you could sense his desperation, a part of him showing how much he longed for you to be back. When you still didn’t react, he took a few breathers and continued.

“I have this defense mechanism I’ve used since I started my company, and that is being an asshole to everyone. I don’t deal with people well and I trust only so little, I do not welcome people easily in my life. I kept living that way knowing how toxic and dark the whole business world could be, especially since I’m carrying my family’s name. People come, take a few things they want, and then they disappear.” He said.

“I wasn’t so sure when I first met you, but you made our first conversation so bloody memorable I just couldn’t help but go back!” He chuckled. That one chuckle was enough to let you know he was coming out of his own shell, slowly but surely.

“There wasn’t anything much for us to start with, just a simple exchange of breakfast and coffee and I was off. But that one night, when you let me in even so late after closing time was enough to tell me that I could trust you. Because no one who I ever encountered even would give me a glance if I walked in homeless in their doorsteps. I just couldn’t help it; I fell in love just like that.” He sighed a little. You smiled at his little confession, remembering how one mug of hot chocolate was enough to give you a home and a stable job, everything that you have ever wanted.

“I always seems like I don’t care and act like I barely give a shit, but I do. I care too much to the point I didn’t need you to send me in your resume, because I wanted you. I cared so much that I told my brother about you, my family, because I know I’m aiming to go further in this relationship with you. And now, I care so much that I still come back running to find you.” He said.

His face was flushed, you could see the visible streak of pink across his face. Doyoung tried to hide it with his hand, turning his face away, but it was too obvious he couldn’t do anything about it. He sighed.

“You still didn’t warn me about having that business trip of yours!” You exclaimed.

“Because I knew you would be worried! And give me some credit, I came back two months earlier than planned. Did you know how much work I crammed in these three weeks to get an early leave?” He shot back.

You smiled a little at his effort, slowly understanding where you stood in this relationship with him.

“Still doesn’t give you an excuse to abandon me for work all the time.” You sulked. This time, Doyoung smiled.

“Because I’m planning to buy a house, a proper house for you and me.” He said.

“W-What?”

“I want you to move in with me, Y/N.” he softly said, every single raw emotion he put in that one sentence.

“M-Move in?” You gaped at him.

“You always talk about wanting to have a proper place you can settle down, a place you can finally claim as your home. I thought long about it and I’m sure on my decision. I am serious right now; I want you to move in with me. I want you to be mine.” You shivered at his words.

Doyoung took a few steps into the house, closing the gap between the two of you. Then he pulled you into his embrace. It didn’t take you too long to feel his warmth, but it wasn’t his warmth that you longed for. You longed for his familiarity around you. You missed him in general, all aspects. His glares and short-tempered mind, his orders and demanding tones, his laughter and smiles. You longed for his scent of strong musk and coffee, to be wrapped around his arms and pampered by his love. You wanted him to make you feel special, to be his.

“I want to be a part of that home of yours, Y/N.” He whispered; lids heavy as his head dipped down towards yours. Soon you felt his lips on yours, the butterflies and rapid heartbeats. You missed him.

You had always associated home to be a place you stayed, a place you could call your small bubble. But as you grew older, you slowly realized that a home could also be a person. You understood from that day, anywhere you went could be called home as long as it was with someone you loved.

That’s what home truly was, him. He was your home.

When he pulled away, he looked at you with the softest gaze he ever laid upon anyone. It didn’t take him long to pull down for another kiss, this time more desperate. You could feel his both breath against your cheeks, your skin. You thought you had reached cloud-nine. He pulled away ever so slightly, lips brushing against yours. He rested his eyes around your face, feeling himself grow warmer at the sight of you so vulnerable under his touch.

“You have no idea what you are capable of doing to me, Y/N. You are mine.” He took you in once again, this time showing you what it meant to fully become his.

[arianaistired]

My Experience Meeting Taylor (WHAT THE FUCKKKKKK)

@taylorswift THATS US WHAT THE FUCKKKKK

(also I just finished typing this and it’s so so fucking long I’m so sorry this is a warning. I don’t even get to rep room for so long I can’t breathe I’m so sorry)

Okay, so I’m at work right now, but I cannot for the life of me stop thinking about Saturday--which can really be the tagline for the past 3 days of my life--and then I realized that I haven’t posted a single thing about it on tumblr dot com!!! I’ve really not shut the fuck up about it on twitter but this is a whole new platform, a whole new WORLD that I have not tapped into and annoyed everyone by talking CEASELESSLY about this experience. Like I’m pretty sure that everyone is going to murder me on twitter if i don’t shut up soon, but we’re not there yet on papersairplane dot tumblr dot com so here we fucking go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay the story of my day on Saturday really begins on Friday night after Metlife night 1, a joyous occasion wherein Taylor Swift Touched My Hand at the barricade. So I was just like floating on a fucking cloud after that concert, trekking back to the lowly island of Long Island, New York and texting my friend jess @monica-geller. I was thinking about how I’ve done literally nothing to try to meet miss swift in my entire meaningless existence on this earth and I was thinking about how it doesn’t hurt to TRY so I was like hm. I’ll make a post!!! I didn’t but more on that later.

So i tell jess I’m gonna make a post and then in classic ariana fashion I just sit there on the train not making my post bc i was like deadass...I have nothing to say like nothing about me is particularly interesting it’s not like my house caught on fire and, in the absence of a fire hose, i used the soothing lyrics of stay beautiful from taylor swift’s debut album (2006) to will the flames into submission. like i just really love that woman i don’t have anything else TO SAY. omg side note i love how this started off with proper grammar and spelling and capitalization and now i’m talking like i don’t even know how to read. whatever. so then liz @lastskiss decides to get a fucking idk like a call from God Herself (stream god is a woman by ariana grande) and she’s like wow i should make ariana a post and i see her tweet and i’m life fuck it i’ve told her not to in the past but i’m tired and lazy and nothing’s gonna come of this anyway so i’ll let her make the post. so i text her my seat info and then i’m like “wow my work is done here i’m so talented for pressing send on the imessage app.”

so liz makes this post and is like “should i post it :O” and jess is like “yeah post it that dumb bitch is never gonna do anything herself” which...tea….and liz, being an intellectual in addition to being a magical wizard, is like “tea” and does it. Idk why this is a short novel already but i’m extremely bored at work and trying to get all the deets in. so this is at like i wanna say 1:45am EST aka everyone’s asleep except for liz in LA and jess in australia. so i reblog it once bc if you haven’t already grasped it i’m a lazy dumbass with low expectations and i go to sleep like “my work here is done.” so liz and jess and a few other beautiful souls by jesse mccartney reblog the post while i’m asleep, unbeknownst to me, and a few hours later at 8am i wake up and get ready for brunch. So i’m well aware that it’s gonna rain tonight so i’m like i should not put that much effort into my appearance bc i’m going to look like a drowned rat by the end of this day (stupid, but not untrue i really did) so i like actually do the bare minimum like i just basically put on whatever was most comfortable to dance around in the pouring rain in and then zoomed out the door for brunch bc it was in harlem at 12 and i was on long island at 9 so i was like g2g.

change of scenery now: i’m at brunch in harlem with a bunch of friends and soon to be friends and its 12:15 and i’m like “cool i’m with people from the internet so it’s not rood if i check twitter” and I do and i see a dm notification and i’m like oh the let me check. And check i did. And what the fuck was there??? 10 hours after liz hit send on that blessed post what was in my direct messages on the twitter for iphone app? That’s right friends and foes. It was a dm from one miss taylor nation. And what do i do???????????? I turn my phone face down on the table and my hands just start shaking and i’m pretty sure i blacked out as if i was having a petit mal seizure. So i come to, and pick my phone back up and send them my name, my number, and the best time for them to call (“you can call me at literally any time and i will pick up”) and i turn my phone face up on the table and stare at it. And stare. And stare…………...and an hour and a half (!!!) later FINALLY i get a call from miss nation. And i sprinted out of that restaurant. The poor waitress probably thought that denise @pettyswift had threatened to murder me with how fast i ran out of the premises. 10 mins later i return to the table and everyone’s staring at me with expectant gazes and i’m just like completely utterly non reactive like i think i was just in shock because i didn’t understand what was happening. Like i literally expected it to be merch lmaosafujkafn like so to get to speak to whoever that was on the phone and to hear her say the words “if all is fine and you get confirmed, you will be meeting taylor tonight” was jsut….a shock to the system to say the least. So i was still anticipating it to go wrong because like what the fuck. WHAT THE FUCK????? Anwyay. So i get the confirmation and i’m still completely nonreactive but i call my friend anthony @shakeitoffs to tell him (sidenote: i know we’re not supposed to tell anyone but like. I was going with him to the concert i had to. Like i was already under a lot of stress i’m sure everyone understands if i didn’t follow all the rules to a t) and i say goodbye to the table and i start making my journey from harlem to new jersey.

fast forward a few hours to ~4pm and literally the only thoughts in my brain are “what the fuck” “i’m so scared” and “can jess wake the fuck up” like idk why i was so concerned with jess waking up asjkfas like i just NEEDED HER TO WAKE UP. so anthony and i make our journey to metlife because i needed to be at will call between 4-5 to pick up my rep room pass. Anthony’s buzzing, i’m on the verge of throwing up, liz is freaking the fuck out, and jess still isn’t awake. And i get to will call and give them my ID fully expecting something to go wrong….and it does!!! The will call people are like “maam we havent gotten anything from taylor nation yet please check back in 20 mins.” cool. So finally at this point jess wakes up and is freaking out so now liz anthony and jess are all freaking out and i’m just terrified that something’s going to go wrong. FINALLY 15 mins later the will call people waved me back, i gave them my ID, and i received in my undeserving hands that yellow ass rep room paper. I nearly threw up. Bc at this point i had been like working under the assumption t hat something, ANYTHING, was going to go wrong like i half expected the uber to the stadium to spontaneously combust while i was in the car. So to have confirmation that i was supposed to be at a certain gate in less than 40 mins to then be brought backstage to meet taylor alison swift….was a lot. It’s still a lot.

So i take the picture and tweet it and everyone is being so nice and happy for me which only exacerbates the feeling of A Lotness bc i just felt so completely and utterly undeserving, but this isn’t me trying to get people to tell me i deserved it it’s just me being honest about how i felt. And on top of all of this, the fact that i had never in my life tried to meet taylor also meant that i had never in my life prepared to meet taylor. Of course i’ve thought about what i’d say, who hasn’t, but never under the actual assumption that i was meeting taylor. And NEVER with the confirmed knowledge that i was MEETING TAYLOR IN HALF AN HOUR. so, as aforementioned, IT WAS A LOT.

So skip to 5:30, the meeting time, and i’m standing on the floor where i’m supposed to be and waiting in line with like 6 other people waiting for taylor nation to take us backstage. And they start to!!! But then they get to me and ask for my name and i tell them and i’m NOT ON THE LIST JKANFKASJNFJ so im panicking once again like oh this is it. But i tell the tn guy that i got my dm at like 12 that day and i can show it to him and he was like “ohhhh i think i got a text about a late add” and looks through his texts and he’s like “yeah here you are.” which was terrifying like i was really a late ass add huh like someone was like add this girl huh. the.

So finally they bring us backstage.i think i must’ve been visibly distressed at this point bc one of the other fans in line came up to me and was like “you’re nervous too huh” like i’m pretty sure i looked like i was being taken to my execution. They stop us outside of the door and i can see scottifer swift and tree paine and andrea and i’m like “holy fuck this is actually happening.” And giuseppe the dancer walks past me and i’m like “holy fucking shit this is actually happening and also that man is so fucking hot.” they tell us to put all of our shit on the table, and i do (minus my yellow pass which i was still grasping as if it was going to be ripped out of my hands as cameramen crashed the scene like i was on punk’d and everyone including taylor was going to point and laugh at the fact that i actually for one second thought this was going to happen to me. Yes i’m dramatic what about it) and i enter the rep room. The snake habitat if you will. I enter a room and the first group goes in almost immediately and i hear taylor swfit’s speaking voice saying “hiiiiiiii” reverberate around the room and i’m like OH MY FUCKING GOD…….so like i said i was nervous and definitely visibly so. Like i’m pretty sure i was pacing. I was also singing along to lets get married by bleachers because i have morals, but i definitely looked scared. So the tn person in the room keeps offering to take polaroids of me next to all of the decorations ajkfjasnfkjnfa like she must’ve been trying to reassure me which i really appreciated.

The room is like a big dark well decorated room that has a well lit corner curtained off, which is where taylor and the photographer are and where the m&g takes place. So for my sanity i needed to like look into it so that my blood pressure could return and so that i didnt throw up on taylor the millisecond i walked into the glow of the ring light, so i casually walked to where the curtain area was and looked in between the two curtains where a sliver of bright ass light was escaping and i saw taylor in all her taylor swifitan glory with my own two unholy eyes and i was liek “well…..that did nothing to cure my stress” because she was just SO TALL AND BEAUTIFUL that i was just so fucking...idk. Idk i felt so nuts it was indescribable.

Lets get married stops playing and strawberries and cigarettes (i think?) starts and it’s my turn to go in. so i just like bite the bullet and do it and the first words that escape my stupid mouth are “holy fucking shit” and taylor laughed (i cant) and hugged me and she was just so. calm . well obviously shes calm shes meeting a known moron there’s nothing to be nervous abou there this was practically charity work for her like she’ll be able to use meeting me as a tax write off next year. Really i was doing her a service.

But anyway we pull back from the hug and she’s smiling at me and i’m pretty sure i was shaking a bit like my voice definitely was shaking. And i was just like “oh my god. I love you.” klasfjasnjkf like i was incapable of speaking at that point so i think she thought that i was just going to freeze up and not say a single word but before she could fill the awkward silence i just...started talking and did not shut upas fjkasnfjkajkf. Like i was like “oh my god hi i want you to know that i could not have anticipated this happening any less like i received the dm from taylor nation confirming this about 4 hours ago there was nothign to prepare me for this i didn’t even do anything my friend liz made a post and she and jess reblogged it at like 2 am last night none of this makes any sense” and she was like “oh my god that’s so nice of them” which TEA IT ABSOLUTELY WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then she said “i’m so happy i finally get the chance to meet you then” which i’m sure she says to everyone but she’s so good at making you feel like she means it like she said that and it was like i had taken a xanax like i was so calm after that. Everyone says you calm down in her presence and i’ve never taken that seriously, but YOU REALLY DO….like shes just so calming she makes you feel like she’s your friend and that she genuinely wants to talk to you as if this is a casual occurrence.

So i say “i really love you like i have an older sister and she’s cool and all but you have always felt like you were my older sister like you’ve been a constant in my life for like a decade. I don’t even remember my life before i was obsessed with you which is probably indicative of a brain issue if i can’t remember my life before i was 11 but its true” and she LAUGHED and like genuinely laughed which made me feel so good. Like maybe she’s just the most talented actress alive but i really felt like she thought i was funny……..the………..and then as if i didnt get it from her laughing she called me funny which is disgusting. I’m doing my best to remember this conversation i like blacked out ajskfnsanf. I DIDNT EVEN TELL HER ANYTHING ABOUT MYSELF whcih is so funny to think about now and honestly im fine with bc my life is boring anyway. But anyway i had been debating requesting a song all day, but i was like fuck it the worst thing she can do is turn me down and call me stupid for asking. So i prefaced my request with: “taylor i know youre probably getting different requests from everyone you meet and i know you also probably alreayd have a song in mind for tonight which is totally fine it’s your concert you can do whatever you want my opinion doesn’t matter i’l love anything you do” and shes laughs and is like “whats the song” and i tell her forever and always. And shes like “OHHHHH oh my god i didnt even think of that song. i have a list of songs in my mind that i can play at each show and forever & always didn’t even cross my mind i dont know why. I’ll be honest i already have a song in mind for tonight i’m going to play fearless because it’s raining” and i was like “THATS SO GREAT i love that song it’s your concert it’s your show do whatever you want i love fearless fearless is my favorite album” and she was like “that’s such a good request i didn’t evne think about that song” and i started telling her how i love that song because it was like the song that really got me into her music bc i saw her talking about it on ellen and she literally interrupted me which was an honor and goes “OH MY GOD and it has the ‘it rains in your bedroom eveyrthing is wrong it rains when youre here and it rains when you’re gone’ line and its going to rain!!! oh my god that’s such a good song i love that song” and i said me too!! Also i’m her complimenting her own song god she’s so talented. She’s absolutely right it is SUCH a good song. And i said “well its raining again tomorrow and i’ll be there!!!” and she was like “but i was thinking about playing [song she didn’t play but i dont want to say--not to be purposefully evasive bc i know its annoying--but bc i dont want her to hate me for saying it publicly asjkfjkas and also bc if she does it at gillette i want to let it be a surprise :( i feel so annoying im sorry] tomorrow because a lot of people requested it” and i was like “I LOVE THAT SONG” and then said something about the song.

And then she said (again) that forever & always was a good request and then looked SO SORRY when she was like “i’m so sorry i’m probably not going to play that today or tomorrow because i already have songs in mind but i promise i’ll try to play it later even though you probably won’t be there :(” and i was like “NO ITS COMPLETELY FINE i loved all the songs you mentioned. I’d love any song that you played it’s your concert do whatever you want you don’t ever have to play it if you dont want to it’s your show you call the shots” and she was like “i love how you keep telling me i can do whatever i want it’s so thoughtful and supportive you’re so nice” LIKE SHE KEPT TELLING ME I WAS NICE THIS WHOLE TIME and i was like “WELL PEOPLE CAN BE DEMANDING” and she was like “YEAH THEY REALLY CAN BE THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT THEY’LL GET MAD AT ME OVER ANYTHING they’ll get mad at me if i play a song they don’t like or if i dont play a song they like-” and i was like “i know they’ll get mad at you for excluding so it goes and i’m just like guys its her concert let her live” and she laughed again and called me nice again like she kept saying i’m nice which seems so inconsequential tkjajfnjsa but it was so kind of her shes the best.

So at this point we had been there for a long ass time like it felt long and i was like “wait fuck i haven’t even introduced myself to you” and she was like “whats your name” and i said ariana and she goes “wait like air-iana or like are-iana” and i was like “i literally dont care you can call me whatever you want and i’ll respond” and she like laughed AGAIN and was like “youll just respond to anything huh. But seriously what is it” and i said my name again she was like “ariana. Cool.” bye and then she was like “well do you want to take a picture?” which is when i realized how long it had been and i was like “YEAH” and she just pulled me into a hug for a hugging picture which felt cute bc thats what i wanted to do anyway but she was probably just like god this girl has been in here for 8 years im not asking her what pose she wants to do can we please get going with this jskfnajafs but i didnt mind i was on cloud 9. So as shes hugging me i’m like “oh my god i’m going to blink in this picture and then i’ll have to die” and she was like “you wont blink i promise you wont blink she (the photog) will check to make sure” so we take the pic, the photographer tells me i’m good, and then taylor hugs me again and was like “it’s so nice to meet you” and i was like “it’s so nice to meet you too i didnt expect any of this. thank you so much for all of this i love you” and she huggged me again and called me nice again and then we said bye.

And then the taylor nation girl who was taking my picture (who i then gave all of my polaroids and my rep room pass to for her to hold before i went int asjkfnsafj) was like “here you go sweetie” and gave it to me and then told me to go back out and wait in the hall. And like idk why but once i left the photo area it was like every overwhelming emotion i had felt that entire day came rushing out like i just started crying silently like w tears streaming down my face. Asjkfnaskfjafkj. Like i dont cry so it was so bizarre. I didnt know what was happening. So then i was the only one out there bc i guess the first group had already been escorted out, so i was waiting for the rest of the people to be done and just crying. And then andrea was there so i said hi while crying and she came up to me and was like “hi honey how was it?!?!?” and i was like sarcastically like “oh it was okay ive had better days” and i dont think she knew i was joking at first like her face fell a bit before she realized i cant breahjtraefjs btu she was like “yeah its just a normal saturday for you no big deal” and then i asked her for a picture and she complied of course and i was like “im so sorry for crying idk why im crying” and she was like “its okay sweetie youve been through a lot today” which is honestly the most truthful thing ive ever heard in my life. And then i said “i raelly have” and she was like “this is a really amazing experience for you” and once again no lies detected but it was so funny that she said that about me MEETING HER DAUGHTER JKjkjskafjkfjska. And then i thanked her for raising taylor because i love her or something i cant breahfghasf and she was like “it was my pleasure she made it easy on me” and then finally i was escorted out and i was just crying.

Okay so now i just wanted to tahnk everyone who has been nice to me since saturday it means so so much like obviously i didnt think people would be MEAN TO ME but everyone has been soooooo nice i appreciate it a lot. And also like mayb this is controversial 2 say in this economy but i also want to say that all of the taylor nation people were so nice to me like i think everyones a bit hard on them at times like theyre just doing their jobs guys and it doesnt seem like an easy job sajkfnkjas considering they have to deal with how annoying some of us can be. And also i want to thank all of my friends, jess and liz in particular, bc like i didnt do anything obviously akjfanjksfj like this was all them and i love them so much like they were so happy for me it was equally as exciting to tell them as it was to actually meet taylro idk i just love them so much. IDK WHY IM TREATING THIS LIKE AN OSCARS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH but i obviously obviously i want to thank @taylorswift Idk if you saw my post and requested to meet me or if it was just a coincidence but it was honestly such an amazing experinece and you were so GOOD at talking i cant describe it but you were so calming and i really appreciated it. I feel like we dont appreciate all u do for us enough like youre just so kind and amazing i love you taylor swift i aint never gona stop loving you taylor swift. Idk this was so amazing and so unexpected and i still dont understand how any of this happened to me. THIS WAS CRAZY and it was just everything like everything u hear about meeting taylor is just so true…..shes just so good shes such a good person i want 2 cry………………

if u read all of this…..idk why youd do that but thank you and also im sorry for how long it was i just needed to write it all down for my own memory. Thank youuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[apexart-journal]

Tasha Dougé, Day 6  aka My BDAY!! Today I turn 40!!

May 26, 2021.  It was the last Super Moon of the year, a Blood Moon, the Flower Moon and a lunar eclipse.  This all happened before 8am EDT.  What a way to start off my 40th birthday.  40 years on the this earth and I have much to be grateful for and I appreciate all my blessings, including this fellowship.  Thank you God, Ancestors, Lwas and the Universe. 

Now for those who have been following or are just joining me on this journey, I want to acknowledge the lapse in posts.  Today is actually day 9 of my fellowship.  For all the bloggers and vloggers out there, I tip my hat to you all in sheer awe.  This is not easy to do consistently.  I knew that, but now I really KNOW.  I mean I am out here in these NYC streets and by the time I get back to the apt, the only thing I want to blog are the number of Zzz’s and snores coming out of me in the bed.  Nonetheless, I committed to sharing my journey and I want to.  So here we go.

It was a late start on the 26th and that was great because the BDay love was pouring in.  Since I can’t celebrate in person, I created a BDAY BINGO game and my friends were game.  The day/afternoon started with a good ole game of mini golf. I haven’t played since 2000.  So I’m coming into this with tons of rust.  PERIODT.  I was told that I would have some company.  Dhairya came to play with his cool shades in tow.  He is a student at NYU studying computer engineering.  My solution to any computer issue is Ctrl + Alt + Delete.  If that doesn’t work, then I can’t help ya.  That is the extent of my expertise.  Now, I will direct all questions to Dhairya.  Dhairya came to the states from India three months ago and it was a pleasure listening and learning about him.  Now, he said he never played mini golf.  However, that is not what the score card said. No need to focus on the numbers.  What’s important is that he didn’t let me win because it was my birthday and that we really enjoyed our time playing.  And if you have to know, yes he did win.  As per my photos (taken by Dhairya), you can see that I had a hard conversation with my ball trying to sort out the lack of communication and teamwork.  After his win, I introduce Dhairya to one of my favorite spots, NISH NUSH.  It is a Mediterranean vegetarian spot that I last visited in Summer of 2019.  It was perfect because he is vegetarian.  He loved the food.  My bday was off to a great spot.  Next off to Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

If you haven’t been to Sunset Park, you need to go immediately.  What a beautiful park.  The view was gorgeous.  I laid out and enjoyed my icee.  One of the pigeons wanted to give me a gift.  It showered me with some excrements.  Apparently, that is supposed to be a sign of good luck.  I will let you know later how true that is.  Until then, I proceeded to use some hand sanitizer to remove the “gift.”  My agenda for the day suggested some snacks.  I decided to try the red bean puff pastry from Jade Bakery (corner of 63rd & 8th) and the rice cake skewers from 369 BBQ (corner of 61st & 8th).  When I got to Jade’s and asked for the red bean pastry, they were exactly sure about what I was asking for.  However, they were super sweet and friendly.  They showed me something red and had beans, so I took it.  Next to 369 BBQ.  I almost missed it because I was looking for a brick and mortar.  Good thing my peripheral vision is still working.  I ordered one skewer to go.  I walked to the train to head over to Greenwood Cemetery for the last event for the day.

While waiting for the train, I cracked open the foil and started eating the rice cake skewer.  Wait for it... Hell the Freak Yes!!!  It was the bomb!  Ever order something and get mad that you only got one?  Well that was what I was feeling.  It was doughy goodness with a kick of spice.  I am SOLD and I will be back for sure.  

I made it to the cemetery with like 2 mins to spare.  There was a line and we waited for them to let us in.  I was the only Black person on the line, but I was going in to see what this was about.  To be honest, I was trying to see if this event could be rescheduled.  I mean a cemetery on my bday?!  I googled it and they only do the event once a month.  So as someone who is all about experiences and willingly accepted the nomination to be a part of this fellowship, I told myself to go for it.  They let us in and off we went.  You find out fairly quickly that the tour is self-guided.  As I enter the cemetery and take it all in, I am filled with questions.  Who came up with this idea?  Was the person buried in the pyramid mausoleum African/Black?  Why do people chose to occupy so much space even in death?  As I witnessed the entertainment, I wondered who is the entertainment for?  Were the deceased considered in those decisions?  As part of the event, folks had the option to enter into certain mausoleums.  For me, that led to more questions.  How were the mausoleums selected?  Did they ask the deceased permission?  At one point, I asked if there were people actually in them and I was told yes.  It is my bday and I don’t know the energy of the people deceased.  Thanks, but I will pass on that one.  

Oh yea. How could I almost forget?  Literally about 5 minutes after I entered the cemetery with the group, the grey clouds with all their rolling thunder came right on through.  Strong winds followed by stronger gusts of winds had the trees howling and the branches swaying frantically.  Shortly after, the rain came.  Pellets of water were hurled onto our bodies and my body for sure since I didn’t have an umbrella.  For me, that was the good Lord and ancestors saying you came, you saw and now you gotta go.  With that message, I got another message.  This time it was for the event folks saying that the event was canceled due to the rain.  My sister called with some happy birthday vibes and asked where I was.  I told her I was in a cemetery and she was like “on your birthday?”  I told her yea.  I was not surprised by her shock, but I flipped it for her real good.  Yes, it was my 40th birthday, but what would be a better reminder to live then to be among those who have passed. 

I choose to live with every breath I have until my very last.  This was a bomb birthday!!

Sidebar:  I will return to Greenwood because Basquiat is buried there and there is also an African burial ground called the Freedom Lots.

[another-mentalhealthblog]

I didn’t show up yesterday!

And that’s not because I neglected blogging. I mean, yesterday I didn’t meditate or blog, which I want to be vital, repetitive parts of my morning routine. But I missed a day. So what! That’s okay. We’re back at it today!

I didn’t “neglect” blogging because I was genuinely really caught up in the present moment of life. The other day, I posted on a Facebook page for a town right next to my little town. I posted my resume and said here are my skills, let me know if anyone is hiring or looking for someone with my skills to help them out (paid of course).

This worked better than Indeed. I got a few responses. This really got some juices flowing and the ball rolling.

I got one message that was super promising, and I’m really excited about! It was from my friend from elementary & high school’s older sister, who actually dated my brother back in the day which is pretty funny. They used to kiss on the back of the school bus.

She said her company is looking for a full time Community Manager. 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, no weekends. AKA - a “big girl/adult” job!

She said, “It’s an awesome work environment and the owner loves creativity and thinking outside the box. Its definitely a job that you can make your own as much as you want to, which is why I think you'd be perfect for it! It's a great place to work and I think you will really click with the people! You'll be working with Digital Marketing and the Owner's wife is a photographer! They are such fun people too!”

So now I’m just waiting to hear back from her, as well as another media company not too far from me. And I have two interview’s scheduled for next week, which is good but I’m kind of hoping not to go to, because the media company and the job I mentioned above are both ideal positions for me.

SO - I didn’t post yesterday because I was so caught up in that. Doing a podcast interview for someone else’s podcast. My own podcast. Singing and playing piano. And just living my life.

At first, blogging felt like something to do only when I was sad. To clear my head and get all of the heavy emotions off of my chest.

And then yesterday, when my spirits were lifted and I felt hopeful and productive, I didn’t blog.

I just want to make sure I don’t forget to take note of the positive things, too. 

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Moon: In your opinion, what is the height of stupidity?

Lunar, turning to Eclipse: How tall are you?

[jedifighterpilot2727]

Failing Physics

Just a heads up but I'm going to try and go through my prompts on here the next few days, and some of them will just be little short fics that don't get posted on AO3 so I’ll try and tag everything appropriately!

The story of how Lexi and Taylor meet - AKA the rom com beginning that no one asked for but I decided to write anyway.          

Taylor is failing physics.

She’s not even exaggerating at this point, because it’s right there; written in red ink on her test paper.

Forty-six.

She didn’t even know test scores could go that low. Granted she’s also never taken college level physics, so that probably has something to do with it.

Once again, she curses herself for forgetting to sign up for the mandatory science class until the last possible minute; because of course the only option that fit in with the rest of her schedule had been physics. Of course.

Groaning, she watches the rest of the class file out, debating on whether or not she should cut her losses and drop out of school entirely or try and beg the professor for extra credit. She isn’t exactly sure what extra credit in a physics class would look like, but it couldn’t be THAT horrible?

Right?

She watches as Dr. McGregor packs up his bag at the front of the class, debating.

Just as she’s made the decision to throw herself at the mercy of the extra credit gods, she hears a voice.

“Dr. McGregor! Hi! Ummm, I just had one question about the test - “

A figure laden with books steps up to the desk, drawing Dr. McGregor’s attention to her outstretched test paper.

Lexi, Taylor thinks her name is.

That’s a lie.

She knows for sure that that’s what the girl’s name is, just as sure as she knows that Lexi is one of the reasons for Taylor failing her latest test.

It’s hard to pay attention when the prettiest girl she’s ever seen in her entire life is sitting just a few rows up.

Lexi, with her dark brown hair, and her bright blue eyes, that stupid sunny smile that absolutely no one should have during an 8am class. She watches as Lexi’s free hand pushes her glasses up her nose before gesticulating wildly at the paper in front of her.

Since she’s been spared from her begging for another few moments, she takes the opportunity to give her crush an appreciative once over. As flustered as the girl sounds, she LOOKS put together, from head to toe. The braid containing her hair looks nearly impossible to wrangle, and Taylor absently wonders just how long the other girl spends on her hair in the mornings. Her outfit just screams ‘money’, from the black designer button up and the brown Hermes belt and the black Givenchy pants . . .

Taylor doesn’t even want to think about how much her loafers cost. Two month’s rent, probably.

She has to hand it to the rich girl though, if she didn’t know fashion, she would never guess that any of it was designer. It was subtle, and Taylor likes that. Not enough to flaunt, but enough that it probably kept the other rich kids off her back.

Well other than the popped collar and the fact that she seems to be debating an answer to a physics test. That probably didn’t make them consider her less of a dork.

A cute dork though.

She considers for a moment that she doesn’t really know much about Lexi other than the fact that she wears designer clothes, sits at the front of the class everyday, and that she never speaks to anyone other than the professor.

Oh and that she’s insanely attractive, but Taylor would have to be blind to miss that.

She’s startled from her thoughts by Dr. McGregor’s voice.

“Now Lexi, I know that you’re only in this class because the Dean turned down your request to bypass it for the higher level course; and I’m also aware that he turned you down only out of spite because of his long standing feud with your mother, but that doesn’t change the fact that in this class we’re dealing strictly with Earth based physics. I understand that on Mars or even Vucarra that the principles determining the result of the test mentioned in question 7 would be vastly different, but this is about how the test would play out on Earth.” He chuckles. "Try to dial back your vast knowledge of extraplanetary physics for this class, please.”

“Sorry, it’s just- the different systems got mixed up in my head, I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t understand the concept.”

“Lexi, you missed half a point on the entire test, you’re in no danger of me doubting your ability to grasp the concept of entry level physics anytime soon.”

That seems to appease Lexi, because she tucks the test paper in one of the folders balanced on her arm.

“Thank you, sir.”

Taylor is standing before she even registers what she’s doing.

Only her feet don’t take her up to Dr. McGregor’s desk, instead they follow Lexi out into the quad.

She isn’t exactly sure which part of her brain decided this was a good idea, but she’s going to blame it on the gay part.

Sappho have mercy.

“Lexi?” She calls out, and the other girl stops and whirls so fast that her papers and books fly everywhere.

Great way to start a conversation, good job Taylor.

“Oh, Rao! Sorry! I hope I didn’t hit you! I just have a really exaggerated startle reflex sometimes.” Lexi blurts out as she scurries around, picking up papers from the grass; and Taylor drops to her knees to help.

“Completely my fault, I didn’t mean to startle you!” She passes Lexi a stack of papers, pretending not to notice the electric current that passes between them when their hands brush.

Lexi clears her throat, but makes no attempt to get up or pull away.

“Was there something you needed?”

Taylor doesn’t think she’s ever seen eyes that blue.

“Pardon?”

Lexi’s fingers brush nervously at her glasses.

“You called my name?” Her voice squeaks at the end and Taylor almost melts at the adorableness.

“Oh! Right, sorry. I just - well I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Dr. McGregor, and well, I need a tutor.”

“A tutor? For what?”

She might think that Lexi is simply being mean, but she doesn’t think there’s a way to fake the look of genuine confusion on her face.

“Intro to physics? The class we were just in?” Taylor jerks her thumb back towards the door.

“Oh! Of course! Yeah, no, duh, I mean obviously -“ Lexi shakes her head. “The science center has a really great tutoring program, or I think there are some private tutors posted on the bulletin board outside the lab.”

“Actually,” Taylor hesitates for half a second before taking the plunge. “I was hoping, maybe, you could tutor me?”

She isn’t sure how to read the hesitation on Lexi’s face, so she stutters forward.

“I mean you don’t have to, obviously, and I can’t pay you - because, well broke college student - but I work down at the corner coffee shop, and I can get you all the free coffee you can drink. Plus you’d have my undying gratitude for helping me not flunk out of college.”

A twinkle lights in Lexi’s eyes and one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows arches upward.

“I am running a little low on undying gratitude.”

Taylor doesn’t let herself imagine that Lexi is flirting.

“Well, if you can help me pass physics then you will have mine, I have no idea how you even understand what he’s talking about half the time.”

“Oh!” Nervous Lexi appears to be back, tilting her glasses once again before reaching out a hand to pull Taylor to her feet. “My mom has been teaching me physics since I was like, five; so. . . . it’s just kind of . . . ingrained in there, I guess.”

“Five! You were five when you started learning this stuff?!”

“Well, Mama and I would always be worried when my Mom was . . . out on assignment, so we did science experiments. It sort of became our thing.”

“You have two moms?”

That must strike a nerve, because Lexi straightens to her full height, and even though she’s shorter than Taylor by a few inches she looks menacing.

“Is that a problem?”

“No, no, of course not! Huge lesbian here.” Taylor points to herself, trying not to wince at her own sudden awkwardness. “Just wanted to clarify! It’s always nice to hear about other lesbians having families and succeeding - out there teaching their five year-olds physics!” Lexi seems to have relaxed, but she rambles on anyway. "What does your mom even do? That she knows so much about physics, and that she apparently has beef with the Dean of the science department at USC?”

“You don’t - you don’t know who I am?”

Of course she should have know that a person dressed like they belong in a fashion show for high end tomboy wear would have an ego.

“Should I?”

“Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that; I wouldn’t expect you to know who I am, I was just trying to say . . . .” Lexi trails off with a sigh. “Most people form opinions about me based on my family before they even meet me, so it’s just surprising to hear someone say they don’t know who I am.”

Taylor feels herself relax. Maybe Lexi doesn’t have that much of an ego after all.

“Oh, well I can see how that might throw you off.”

“I wasn’t trying to be snobby or whatever, I just -“

“Lexi, it’s totally fine! I don’t think you’re being a snob! Hell, I don’t even think I’ve told you my name!”

“Taylor!” Lexi blurts. “Not that I’m creepy or stalky  or anything, I just -“

Taylor saves her from whatever apology is about to come by extending her hand for a shake,  warm and giddy off the fact that her crush knows her name.

"Taylor Mitchell, pleasure to meet you.”

Lexi’s handshake was firm.

“Lexington Luthor-Danvers, and the pleasure is all mine.”

Smooth. How could someone go from blubbering mess to suave in exactly 0.25 seconds? And -

"Wait. THE Luthor-Danvers? As in the Luthor-Danvers empire?”

“That’s the one.” As uncomfortable as Lexi may seem with her social status, there’s a hint of pride in her voice at the family name.

“Well, I can see why your mom started teaching you physics at five!”

“She’s kind of a legend among science nerds, so since I’m a science major, pretty much everyone I’ve met here has already known about me beforehand.”

Taylor vaguely remembers ‘the Luthor-Danvers heir’ making headlines on magazines for some sort of scientific research a few years back and she vows to google it when she gets home.

“Well, I’m an art major, and I know absolutely nothing about science; hence the failing grade in physics.”

Lexi’s mouth quirks upward.

“Right, well I can probably help you with that.”

“Like I said, undying gratitude.” She teases and Lexi starts to say something only to get cut off by a shriek echoing out across the quad.

“Lexi!! A little help here! This Dargorian poodle is a little out of control!!” A huge beast streaks by- one that resembles a St. Bernard only without the fur - dragging behind it a person on roller skates.

“Uhh,” Lexi begins stuffing her books into her backpack. "I - I have to go, that’s my cousin. Tomorrow at 1? Does that work for you?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Study date? Tomorrow at 1pm in the library, second floor?” Lexi slings the stuffed bag over her shoulder with surprising ease and Taylor tries not to drool.

“Oh! yeah, perfect!”

“Great! I’ll see you then!” There’s a blinding grin tossed in her direction, and then Lexi is gone, running after the animal and its handler.

Taylor still isn’t sure what possessed her to follow her crush and ask her for help; but it’s easily the best decision she’s made all week.

            So let me know what you guys think about this one!! This is the closest to an original fic that I've ever written - all of the speaking characters are original characters - so i'm a little nervous!

[miheartsays]

May 2, 2020

So once upon a time it was 530. And then it was 645 and now it's 8am!! My sleeping schedule is still in shambles but that's not what I'm here to talk about. I just finished reading "it's not summer without you" from the summer I turned pretty series aka my once upon a time self proclaimed "fave book seriesever". The last time I read it was in 2016 and I rememebr feeling alllllll the feels. It was a good book but not as good as I remember it. I think growing up has a lot to do with it. When I read it in 2016 I had no idea what life had in store for me. I was only in first year of uni. I remember it was the last pure happiness I felt before my depression hit in 2017. My life never recovered since. Anyways I didn't want to make this some sort of a sad post but reading this book brought back sooo many memories. Nostalgia really is something. I kept on thinking how Susannah and Laurels relationship was so much like my mom and my aunts and the dynamic bt the kids reminded me of my relationship and the most wholesome memories I have with my cousins and my brothers. Sometimes, well actually alot lately, I've been thinking how much I wish I could go back to being 7 or 10 or 12 and being this care free child. It feels like yesterday when my cousin broke my mp3 player I had by not so jokingly tossing it to me and it breaking in half. I remember how i saved up every Eid for that lil MP3 player and excitedly going to walmart to pick it up. I remember the time my mom finally agreed to buy me a webkinz, this camfoulage frog thing. I loved it so much to the point where when my cousin broke its eye off, I tried to superglue it back and got it all over my arm. It was such a disaster hahah. The Memories of playing monopoly at 3am, watching icarly while eating the 12th frozen pizza that week..Begging my mom to let us go to Kitchener. Spending weekends, holidays, winter breaks there. Hiding dirty dishes in the oven. Being yelled at to make food. The running around, the games, the hilarious chats over dinner or lunch or cereal. I miss it. I miss it so much. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who remembers these things. I put So much value on these memories. They remind me of happier times. Of carefree times. Of family. Of friendships. Of pure laughter. May we all reunite in Jannah. Childhood lasts forever in Paradise

[theolddarkmachine]

Kingdom- Chapter One

Gajeel has had the dream about dying for the blue haired girl for as long as he can remember. Which is weird, since he’s never met anyone with blue hair in his life.

Levy has always loved myths and legends. So much so, in fact, that she was currently getting her master’s in mythological studies.

What neither of them realized was that they were living a legend all their own.

AKA the one with a knight, a princess, and a curse that keeps bringing them together just to pull them apart.

DON’T FORGET TO READ THE PROLOGUE IN CASE YOU MISSED IT SINCE I’M THE WORST AND DECIDED TO RANDOMLY POST IT BEFORE I’D SAID I WAS GOING TO POST ANYTHING! Anyway, you may start reading this and think that it’s the preview I’d posted a while ago. While it does start the same, it’s completely different because that had been a random ditty I’d written once the idea had entered my head and I wanted to test the waters. So yeah. Don’t let the first like four paragraphs fool you! This is all new!

********************************

Everything was dark and the only thing Gajeel could feel was a heavy weight across his chest and the cold that was biting at his fingers. So this is death. The thought was oddly comforting. He hadn’t expected it to be so calm nor had he expected it to be so quiet yet as he lay there, the weight on his chest growing heavier and the chill working its way through his body, it was the most serene he’d ever felt. Well, that wasn’t quite true. A flash of blue danced across his mind’s eye accompanied by the memory of a tinkling laugh. Gajeel had always known she’d be the cause of his death. He’d been born to give his life for her after all, and he’d happily do it all over again if he could. Knowing his blue haired princess would live on was all he needed to go on in peace. The weight started to suffocate him as the cold gripped his heart like icy fingers. Light started to eat away at the edges of the inky darkness surrounding him. In the distance, he heard her voice. It was faint, but it was there. He smiled into the light as it consumed the remainder of the darkness. Yes. He would do it all over again.

***

The light of the early morning sun poured through Gajeel’s bedroom window, landing squarely on his face and pulling him from the dream. The first time he’d had the dream, he’d woken in a cold sweat. Everything had felt so real that he’d woken his foster dad at the time up in the middle of the night to ask him to check if he was, in fact, alive still. Granted, he’d been 10 years old at the time, but he couldn’t really be blamed for freaking out over the fact he’d literally felt what it was like to die. At 25 years old, he’d had the dream enough now to be used to it. It was actually a weird night if he didn’t have the dream. He almost missed it when he woke the next morning after not having it.

A groan escaped his lips as he slung an arm over his eyes to block out the sunlight. Just another day, he thought to himself, as he willed his body to let him go back to sleep. As if it was that easy. He’d never been one to be able to get back to sleep after he’d woken up, much to his dismay. The sound the city outside his window wasn’t helping much either as cars constantly honked, people yelled loudly and the occasional siren went past. Why he’d chosen to move to a big city was beyond him. He’d always hated huge cities, but something had just seemed right about this one. The feeling that drove him to move to the city was the same that drove him to do a lot of things. It always started as an idea that tickled the back of his mind, just barely there but there enough to always be on his mind. Then the feeling would grow until he couldn’t do anything else until he did whatever it was that had been on his mind.

Gajeel liked to think of it as his intuition, but he couldn’t ever shake the feeling that somehow the feeling and the dream  were tied together. Shaking his head to clear his mind of that thought, he groaned again before rolling over to look at his alarm clock. It was 8am, far earlier than he wished to be up given he hadn’t gotten home from work until 3am. If being a bartender didn’t pay so well in tips, he would have ditched it long ago. Luckily, it did.

As he stared into the alarm clock as if he could will the time to go backwards, he felt the dull ache at the back of his mind, urging him to go for a walk. Of all the times to act up. With an exasperated sigh, he reached towards his nightstand and grabbed his phone. If he was going to go out for a walk, he was at least going to make it worth it and get some coffee out of the deal. After punching the number in from memory, he pressed the phone to his ear and through his arm over his eyes again to keep himself from being blinded by that pesky sun.

“Thanks for calling Kiwi Tree Cafe, how can I help you?” A surprisingly deep voice answered. If Gajeel wasn’t so used to the ridiculousness of such a low tone saying something as absurd as “Kiwi Tree Cafe,” he would have laughed.

“Hey Lily, ya take your break yet?” He asked without introduction.

“Want to use me for my goods, I see,” his friend chuckled. Well, more like his brother, really. Gajeel had bounced around from foster home to foster home until he’d landed in one run by Lily’s surly sheriff father. He wasn’t sure what they’d seen in him, since he’d been in enough homes to know there wasn’t anything to see, but they’d kept him around anyway. He’d spent the rest of his time in the system with them, and he and Lily had been inseparable.

“I’m just helping ya out, Lil,” he laughed. “You shouldn’t complain about having someone willing to try your weird new creations for free.” This elicited a sigh from the cafe owner.

“They aren’t weird, you just don’t have any taste,” Lily replied half jokingly. “But no, I haven’t. Be here by 9.” The line went dead before Gajeel could even reply. Typical Lily. Hoisting himself out of his bed, he felt the need to get outside grow stronger.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Gajeel sighed into the quiet that filled his apartment. It would actually be kind of nice to get out for some fresh air. It was Fall and the air had a nip of cold to it and the trees were covered in a beautiful array of orange, yellow and red leaves. If he was being honest, it was his favorite time of the year. He went to the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth. He inspected his reflection as he raked his fingers through his unruly black hair in the closest attempt of taming it as he was going to make. The studs that ran in a row above both of his eyes and lined his nose glinted with the light from his bathroom lights. All in all, he didn’t look as tired as he felt, which was a plus. He was at least presentable enough for Lily to not send him out of his popular breakfast spot with a to-go bag. Leaving his bathroom, he snagged a pair of grey jeans and a frayed black knit sweater from his dresser. The feeling had grown further and was taking over all his thoughts as he tugged his sweater on.

“Fuckin’ impatient,” he growled to himself. He was aware it was crazy to talk to a feeling, but, well, he did often wonder if he was crazy. With the feeling and the dream combined, he wouldn’t be too shocked if he was. After pulling on a pair of worn black boots, he grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out the door. The thought that was wreaking havoc on his thoughts was already started to dissipate as he made his way down the stairs to the entrance of his building. It wasn’t until his foot hit the pavement outside his building that it disappeared entirely. The cool air rushed into his lungs, making him feel lighter. Breathing it in deeply, he thrust his hands into his pockets and turned right to head towards the cafe. It was only a couple of blocks from his apartment, which had been a stroke of luck for him when Lily had announced its location. As he made his way down the street, a familiar shade of blue caught his eye. It was just a quick flash as the woman rounded the corner ahead of him and disappeared around the other side of the building. A small spark of recognition fluttered through his chest, and was gone almost as quickly as she had been, yet it had been enough to stop him in his tracks.

What the hell was that?

“Hey guy, keep movin’,” an angry voice said as someone knocked into his shoulder, knocking him out of his momentary stupor. With a quick shake of his head, Gajeel continued towards the Kiwi Tree Cafe.

***

“This is our Brazilian roast infused with kiwi and cocoa,” Lily said proudly as he sat across from Gajeel with two steaming cups of coffee and a tray samplers for all the pastries being served that day. “Meant to boost immunity and promote heart health. And before you say anything about how that sounds weird, just give it a try. It’s going to change your life.” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw Lily’s obsidian eyes light up as he talked about the strange drink. Truth be told, while Gajeel gave him a hard time, he’d never actually made anything he didn’t like. But what kind of brother would he be if he didn’t bust his balls from time to time. Not to mention the fact Lily was a 6’2 tall, muscular guy with inky black hair that spiked every which way and an undercut with a crescent moon scar that ran through his left eyebrow. He looked more like he would a bodyguard for a gangster than a pastry chef, so honestly, he made it too easy sometimes to pull his leg.

“Your obsession with kiwis is worrying,” was all he said as he picked up the cup and took a quick sip. As expected, the combination that shouldn’t work at all was delicious. Lily’s ability to make a damn good cup of coffee was inspiring, not that he could tell him that. “It doesn’t make me want to die, anyway,” was what he ended up saying. His brother shook his head as he took another sip of his own cup.

“You’re in denial, but I’ll take it. Now, are you going to tell me what’s up?” The question caused Gajeel to stop with his coffee midway to his mouth.

“What do you mean?” Lily eyed him suspiciously.

“Well, when you came in here you looked like you’d seen a ghost,” he replied, still staring at his brother as if he could just lift the answer straight from his mind. Gajeel hadn’t been aware he’d looked as shocked as he’d felt by the brief glance of the blue haired woman.

“It’s nothing,” was all he said, hoping Lily would drop it.

“That dream again?” Lily had known about the dream for almost as long as he’d known Gajeel thanks to a particularly bad night when he’d woken up yelling for someone he hadn’t known. His brother took his silence as an answer. “Any luck finding the blue haired dream girl?” One of the best things about Lily was that though they’d grown old enough to know better than to believe that his dream was anything other than just that, he’d always held onto the notion that the blue haired girl really was out there somewhere. Whenever Gajeel found himself questioning his sanity about the whole thing, he at least knew he could count on Lily to make him feel that maybe the dreams weren’t a sign of some psychosis. Right now, though, it felt eerily like he was reading Gajeel’s mind.

“Not yet,” he said, his tone sounding wrong even to his own ears. The pastry chef opened his mouth to say something else when a young man wearing an apron with Kiwi Tree Cafe embroidered across the chest. Gajeel didn’t recognize him, which most likely meant he was new in to the cafe. His suspicions were confirmed when he opened his mouth.

“Uh, Mr.-”

“Call me Lily,” his brother said, cutting off the young guy, whose expression became comically confused.

“Lily?” He said flatly. Gajeel bit back a laugh. It wasn’t the first time anyone had questioned how Lil had gotten his nickname. It was one of his favorite stories to tell, much to his brother’s dismay. The poor guy had gotten completely hammered one night when they’d been troublesome teenagers and gone on a tirade about how strange panther lilies looked. He had been so offended by the look of the flower that he had managed to talk about them until he’d passed out for the night. The next morning, the sheriff had decided calling him Panther Lily for all his days would be punishment enough for his indiscretion, which soon turned to Lily and well, the rest was history. Given the way he was glaring at Gajeel meant now was not a time he would be able to get away with telling the tale though.

“What is it, Droy?” Lily asked, opting to ignore the new baker’s confused inquiry.

“Oh, uh, I think I broke the mixer. Again,” Droy said sheepishly. Lily sighed loudly before turning back to Gajeel.

“Droy, you’ve literally been here for four hours, how is that possible?” The question seemed to be rhetorical as Lily stood up and turned his attention back to Gajeel. “Well, duty calls. Mind taking the dishes to the back when you’re done?”

“Using me for free labor,” Gajeel chuckled.

“I’ll call us even, then,” Lily said as he headed towards the kitchen behind the counter. “Oh, and Gajeel?” He called back before he disappeared behind the kitchen doors.

“Yeah?”

“Stay out of trouble, would ya?” There was a strange look in Lily’s eyes as he appraised him from behind the counter. It wasn’t really like him to warn Gajeel about keeping his nose out of trouble, especially since whenever he got in trouble, it was usually with his brother by his side. Blue hair suddenly flashed across his mind’s eye.

“I’ll try my best,” was all he said as he took another sip of his coffee.

***********************

[dakotahiggins-blog1]

We were supposed to go sailing with a family friend, and right beforehand, the friend broke his leg! Needless to say, the entire trip was off. For them, not us. We continued on with…

No plans. No reservations. No…really

I knew there’d be pros and cons to seeing a country this way. On one hand, it allows for more freedom. On the other hand, I probably spent entirely too much time scrolling Booking.com or Airbnb on my iphone for places to sleep that night. Must-haves: good reviews, A/C, Wi-Fi, preferred Superhost, location, location, location.

If you’re going from Hungary to Croatia, you have a few transportation options:

Rent a car with a v high one-way drop free (unless you plan on going back to Budapest)

Hire a car & driver for a high fee

Take a train (that wasn’t running the day we left because of a public holiday)

Take a bus

Day 1

We left Budapest at 10:30am on a FlixBus (booked day-of!) for about €20/passenger. Now I’m not a traveler that typically gravitates towards the public bus systems of central Europe, but this one didn’t disappoint mostly because it was half full, clean, and came with a view…and because the bus driver let me off to get a banana because HUNGER PAINS. With a border crossing consisting of 25 minutes, the total drive was ~5 hours. That’s 5 episodes of GoT. All good in my book.

Once at the Zagreb bus station, t’was time to hail a cab to the airport so we could rent a car and be on our way. (So let’s rewind and count: that’s 1 cab to the Budapest bus station, 1 bus ride to Croatia, 1 cab to Zagrab airport just to get to the rental car. PHEW). I wasn’t in the Volkswagen for 5 minutes before I went the wrong way down a one-way while stopping traffic everywhere. Then Google Maps took us the scenic route which was the definition of backroads if I’ve ever seen ’em – tractors, horseback, cyclists, greenery, and loooots of wide open land. Honestly, it looked a lot like Arkansas. I immediately felt right at home

After another 2 1/2 hour drive with a pitstop at Cowboy Western Ranch for lunch (if you’re doing this route, you must stop here and get the Texas Burger. Just do it. Not because it’s good, but because it’s a monstrosity and funny when you’re sleep deprived. Plus, it’s like you’re in Texas but you’re in Croatia. It’s weird).

Stay

Around 8pm we finally rolled into Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo. It’s not perfect (rude creaky floors), but I’d stay here again for its location in the heart of Plitvice Lakes National Park and extremely close proximity to Entrance 3. While you can’t purchase entrance tickets to the national park at Entrance 3 (big question mark here), the hotel offers to do it for you – alleviating you of getting back in the car and driving to Entrance 1 or 2. *Raises hand*

Day 2

Explore the gems of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Breakfast at the hotel

All day exploration of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Note: You walk here, there’s no driving, and you also can’t swim. I’m sure it’s for safety/sustainability reasons, but the waters are crazy inviting. Near the entrances, there’s food/water/ice cream stations. Stock up on water! Beware of the circus during the hours from 10am – 6pm. I honestly can’t come up with too many other nature-derived experiences that have been *this* crowded. Once 6pm hit, it was insanely calm and beautiful.

Dinner at Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo

Shop my favorite pair of high-waisted pocket leggings (pictured below)

Stay

Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo

Day 3

More Plitvice Lakes National Park + Travel Day

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning exploration of Plitvice National Park. Here’s a favorite spot of mine:

In front of the Big Waterfall is a staircase. Go up the stairs and at the top, walk right. You’ll find a road. Walk for about 2-3 minutes until you see a wooden bridge. Turn right after the bridge onto a path and walk for 1-2 minutes until coming to a lookout point. STUNNING!

Around noon, head towards Split (or Krka National Park on the way to Split)!

Dinner in the Old Town Harbor while the best people-watching unfolds before your eyes for some gold nighttime entertainment.

Stay

Marasovica Apartments – highly recommend based on location (5 minute walk to Old Town), communication, price and terrace views!

Day 4

Explore Split!

Wander the many historic alleyways and dig deep. Get lost. Eat at any gelato stand. Twice. Maybe three times. Take too many photos of 4th century Diocletian’s Palace. Head towards Marjan for a 550-ft high hill forested with cypress and Mediterranean pine trees – a perfect spot to hike off the questionable decisions from the day before.

Fig Split for dinner (or all meals because it’s *that* good)

Stay

Marasovica Apartments

Day 5

Island Day!

We went back and forth between hiring a private sailboat for the day or taking a small passenger speed boat to neighboring islands. Ultimately, we chose the speed boat because it allowed us to go further, see more AND get dropped off at Hvar that evening. We booked the tour the afternoon before down at the Old Town Harbor where many tours are on offer.

Komiža on Vis island

Stiniva Cove

Budikovac Island for snorkeling (lunch here)

Blue Cave

Hvar (we got off the boat and stayed on Hvar, although everyone else went back to Split)

Shop my easy breezy black sarong (pictured below)

Stay

DeVecchi Rooms in Hvar – This was one of my favorite hotels from Croatia due to the location, furnishings and outdoor space/view! We booked a Deluxe Double with balcony

Day 6

Langonini Beach Club

But first, coffee. Head right outside the hotel to Kava 37

Catch a small boat docked at the harbor (you can’t miss them) for the 15 minute journey

Just typing the name of this beach club makes me exhaleeeee. Laganini means “slowly” in Croatian, and it’s the exact vibe we encountered while there. A relaxing, no worries atmosphere, where water splashes and Balearic music make up the soundtrack. Note that there’s a spending minimum for bungalow use. We enjoyed a few cocktails and sushi mMmMm.

Leave on the last boat back to Hvar (6pm I believe, the same boat that took you over will pick you up) and wander into somewhere yummy for dinner. I’m not going to lie – we chose a very bad pizza spot so I can’t recommend!

Shop my Red Carter bikini top and bikini bottoms

Stay

DeVecchi Rooms

Day 7

Travel day

But first, wake up and hike to the Spanjola Fortress for insanely beautiful views.

Breakfast at Fig Hvar

More options: St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Square, Hvar lavender fields, Sveta Nedjelja aka wine region! Red Plavac Mali grapes thrive here.

11am ferry back to Split (ferries are every hour and tickets can be bought at a booth near the docking point)

Find the rental car where you left it at the last hotel Drive to Dubrovnik. Realize that the drive from Split to Dubrovnik is insanely pretty. Cancel all plans to swim next to pirate ships and explore Bosnia.

Shop my Aritzia yellow one-piece

Stay

In order to get to the southern portion of Croatia, one must pass into Bosnia and Herzegovina occupying just 12 miles of Adriatic coastline in the city of Neum, the 2nd shortest coastline in the world after Monaco…essentially cutting Croatia in two. There are a few other examples of geographically discontinuous countries, but this is definitely a rarity, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this geography lesson. Due to extremely late booking (around 4pm day-of!), options were minimal, especially good ones. We ended up booking at the Grand Hotel Neum, an extremely large hotel that I’d never recommend. Between feeling like cattle and the horrid buffet, I’ll sleep in my rental car next time… (kidding, sort of).

Day 8

Wake up very early to explore Bosnia & Herzegovina. This little country is super underrated. Having only spent 24 hours here, I’m sure there’s SO much we missed. Next Up: What to do for 24 Hours in Bosnia

Drive 2ish hours to Dubrovnik

Eat dinner at Horizont (recommended by host, yummy Mediterranean!)

Stay

Airbnb Stella Mia with a Sea View 2 – I highly recommend this Airbnb due to its size, location, price, and host. Fair warning: If you don’t like stairs, don’t stay here. Scratch that. If you don’t like stairs, don’t go to Croatia at all.

Day 9

Walk the Old Town, get lost in the alleyways and get your steps in on the steep staircases

Let the Game of Thrones tour commence (sorry not sorry)! It was fun, it wasn’t cheesy (not to me, at least!), and our tour was mixed in with lots of Dubrovnik history. 2-in-1, how good is that?! You can find times inside the Visitor’s Center near the Onofrio Fountain.

For everyone who said take the cable car: It was closed due to tax evasion. *EmBarRasSing*

Dinner at Pizzeria Tabasco (recommended by host b/c I had a pizza craving!)

.eic-frame-13230 { width: 1004px; height:1004px; background-color: border: 6px solid }.eic-frame-13230 .eic-image { border: 6px solid }

Stay

Airbnb Stella Mia with a Sea View 2

Day 10

Walk the City Walls as soon as they open (8am). Note: It’s HOT, even early.

Hydrate, eat somewhere yummy in Old Town, try to stop sweating

Take a ferry from the Old Harbor near the east gate (10 minutes) and relax on Lokrum Island for the day

Find the window cave (near station 5 and 6)

Take the 6pm ferry back

Walk to Buza Bar for sunset drinks (and cliff jumping if you dare). This hole-in-the-wall bar on the side of a cliff was so nice, we went twice!

Stay

Airbnb Stella Mia with a Sea View 2

The next morning, we flew to Slovenia. On my wish list for the following Croatia visit: Pula, Rovinj, Brac, Korcula and the Peljesac Peninsula!

The post Road Trip Itinerary: A Guide to Croatia appeared first on The Road Les Traveled.

[thinkinaboutjamie]

March 11, 2019.

Posting this now - found it in my drafts!

Today was kinda alright. I didn’t have many plans today, since all of my baby cousins were in school from deadass 7-5. Like wtf am I gonna do from then? Ate Bianca and Kuya Tom Tom and Kuya GRD (aka JR) said we would go out to the fish sanctuary at 8am, but I was up and ready by then and yet they haven’t showed up. I found that the perfect opportunity to do my homework, at least get those discussion questions out of the way.

Alas, when I did it was nice because I got that done, and by the time I was done they finally picked me up. Kuya Tom Tom drove the four of us to Hinunagaan, where we fed fish with bread (although I am highly opposed to this; I shamefully admit that I did it anways) and jumped into the dagat. It took me a while but damn was it really nice to swim in the sea with all the fishes.

When I got back, I was really kapoy and just slept. Kuya GRD and I had lunch, Ynna, Shen Shen, and Ai Ai walked home for their lunch break. We talked for a bit until they had to leave again, they are really the sweetest girls. My cousins came right after school. They declared that they would be absent from school the next day, since tomorrow is Nanay Gen’s funeral. Nikkos, Shiffra, Shen Shen, Ai Ai, Ynna, Sam Sam, Yuri, Jedd, and Mote all sleptover, but Sam Sam, Yuri, Jedd and I moved upstairs because Sam was too loud and waking up everyone. I’m here now writing this post - and I’m gonna spend time with my cousins now, they wanna play with Siri. My day wasn’t too bad, I feel as if a part of me is far away, and that part is Jamie. I really miss him a lot, it’s hard to talk to him when I’m with my cousins, because I wanna direct 100% of my attention to either party without it being half assed. I hope he understands and knows how much I love and miss him. I also really miss my puppy dog kyla.

With love and chungus,

Jerzhy

[life-of-lizbet]

celebrity spotting!!!!

Hey y'all!! I've got an exciting mid-afternoon update for y'all. I usually don't post until the end of the day so I can write about everything that happened, but this is too exciting to wait. So you're gonna get two posts outta me today. Woohoo! My mom said that Jimmy Fallon was spotted in the grocery store today! (The one that my mom and dad work at, not the other one in town.) I just asked her who saw him- if she herself spotted him, or if he came in during the morning and someone else working there saw him. Exciting stuff!! He wasn't able to come to Wolfeboro two years ago because he had a whole debacle where he managed to slice his finger with his wedding band open right before the big weekend (aka Independence Day weekend). Seriously. Here's a link where he explains what happened: https://www.google.com/amp/ew.com/article/2015/07/14/jimmy-fallon-finger-injury-tonight-show/amp/ It must have been either three or four years ago when he came in the store when I was working and I caught a glimpse of him. Just a glimpse. I was working on the first cash register, the one closest to the entrance/exit. (When you're working on the register, you're facing the entrance/exit, just for a reference.) Jimmy Fallon had just checked out and was wheeling, at a rather fast pace, his cart out the door. I literally just managed a glimpse of the dude. Oh, well. The irony of all of this (okay, not really irony, but idk what else to call it) is that four years ago today (July 1, 2013- I had just finished my junior year of high school), I posted a status on Facebook stating "Saw Ann Romney the other day at work and couldn't care less... But today Jimmy Fallon came in and I didn't see him." I kid you not. I'll post the screenshot of my status in this evenings post. (Unrelated, but hilarious nonetheless- I had posted another status that morning stating that my car battery died when I was volunteering that morning at the humane society. I managed to have my wonderful grandmother who lives next door pick me up and bring me home. I honestly can't remember who drove me to work, but I digress.) Anywho, back to the celebrity sightings. Honestly, this is what makes Wolfeboro so unique. One year my friend claims she bagged for Drew Barrymore, only she was under disguise. The guy who played the president in Ferris Beuler's Day Off is often spotted in the store, mostly by my mom. (She loves pointing out when he comes in- I couldn't tell ya why.) Last year Mitt Romney came into the store all the time. You could just tell when he was up for the week. Because I worked a lot of 6am shifts last summer, I would see him a couple of times a week. I always thought it was hilarious when I saw him as I was putting up freight at 7:30 in the morning- "Good morning!" "How are you this morning?" "Doing well, how about yourself?" "I'm well, thank you." (The conversations always went a little something like that- I never treated him like a celebrity, but always like a regular 'ole customer.) Many times he would come in around 7/8am, sometimes with one of his grandsons, and then he'd be back in the late morning, anywhere between 9-11am. Then he'd sometimes come through my line when I was on cash register. I swear his wife would just send him in to get crap they needed/forgot/what have you. He was a nice enough dude just in and around the store. So I've seen him more times than I can even recall. Anywho, Jimmy Fallon is up in good 'ole Wolfeboro, New Hampshire for the long weekend because his wife's family has a place on Lake Winnipesaukee. (So does Mitt- his place is a freakin' mansion on the lake with tennis courts. No kidding.) I can only assume that Mitt is also up for the weekend with his family. They will most likely be spotted in the store/getting ice cream downtown at Bailey's Bubble, or anywhere else in and around town, for that matter. I'll have to ask my dad if he's seen Mitt Romney yet this weekend. Two years ago, when Jimmy Fallon had his finger issue, presidential candidates were throwing their names into the hat for president of the United States. Rubio and Christie, among others, had already thrown their names in the hat and they had been campaigning. For whatever reason, presidential candidates have had a thing with Wolfeboro's Independence Day parade. I kid you not. So in 2015, Romney invited Christie and Rubio to spend the long weekend at his "summer camp" (remember when I told you it was a mansion? Yeah, it ain't no summer "camp") as they marched in the parade. That year one of my moms Facebook friends bet her $10 or something that she couldn't get a photo with Romney, Christie (or was it Rubio?) and Fallon. Lo and behold, we find out after the fact that Fallon couldn't make it because of his finger. My mom never ran into Romney because anytime he came into the store, it was well before she was scheduled to work. He'd come in at 7, 7:30 in the morning, and she wouldn't be scheduled to work until 11, 1, or even 3 in the afternoon. Go figure. However, she was able to snatch a photo with both Rubio and Christie in the parade. I took both of those photos and they're just the funniest things, ever. (I'll try to post those in my evening post, as well.) So, for the past 6 years (I honestly can't believe it's been for 6 years...) I've marched in the Independence Day parade with the Cate Park Band, the community band I'm a part of during the summer months. (I'm going through moderate withdrawal so far this summer... only three more weeks and I'll be home and back in the band.) Anyone and everyone who is in the parade lines up with their respective float/marching group/whatnot down some residential streets to North Main Street. Because the band is always the third thing in the parade, more or less, behind the veterans holding flags, and one of the veteran groups (the Navy?), we have to stand out of the way when we line up that morning for the parade. It becomes a one-way street- if people have to drop off people/stuff for the parade, they drop off what they need to, then they drive through and exit. So we stand on someone's side lawn. Oh well. Anyways, in 2015, all of us in the band are milling about, talking with one another, tuning our instruments, whatnot. Suddenly, this giant, and I mean GIANT black Suburban with all of its windows tinted, and NJ plates drives through. The band director said "Hm, I wonder who that could be?" oh so sarcastically. Of course it was the one and only Chris Christie. (Or, at least, whoever his driver is had dropped him off to march in the parade.) Somehow this post evolved from "Oh hey! Jimmy Fallon was spotted in Wolfeboro today!" to "let me tell you everything about Wolfeboro's celebrities from the past four years." While typing this, I've received a VERY pissed off text from my friend who is working at the store the whole summer with my mom, stating that she's also not happy she missed Jimmy Fallon. At least I'm not the only one who's mildly upset about this situation. She might see him because she's working the whole weekend, so we'll see who the biggest loser actually is come middle of next week. One last thing- apparently Jimmy Fallon has a mustache now, according to his Tonight Show Facebook page. So strange.